Joel Osteen — Deep Roots
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I want to talk to you today about "Deep roots". During a storm several years ago, one of the big oak trees in our front yard was blown down by the winds. It had been raining for was very saturated, and when I walked out that morning and saw it on the ground, I was so surprised because it wasn't a hurricane. The winds were strong, but it wasn't anything unusual for this part of the country.
A company came out to remove it, and I was talking to the foreman. I said, "I can't believe those small winds were able to blow over this big, sturdy tree". He explained that while the oak tree has an extensive root system that extends even beyond the canopy, most of those roots are less than 12 inches deep, and because the ground was so saturated, when the winds started blowing, those surface roots didn't have anything to anchor to. The roots and the ground came loose, and the tree toppled over.
We have some tall pine trees in our yard as well, some close to the house, and I said, "I hope it doesn't happen to them". He said, "It won't. That type of pine doesn't rely on surface roots for stability. Its roots go down deep. It won't be affected by a lot of rain, by high winds, by loose soil. It has deep roots".
It's the same principle in life. We all have things that come against us: a health issue, finances go down, child gets off course. The winds and rain come to every person, and what's going to determine whether or not you stand strong and outlast that storm is how deep are your roots, and the reason some people are always worried, upset, offended, is they have shallow roots.
They're moved by the traffic, the weather, a grouchy boss, by what somebody said, always being tossed to and fro, but when you have deep roots, when you know God is in control, when you know he has you in the palm of his hand, when you know no weapon formed against you will prosper, when you know he's equipped you, empowered you, and anointed you, you're not moved by everything on the surface. Get caught in traffic.
You know God is directing your steps. You don't get offended when somebody did you wrong. You know God is your vindicator. You don't live discouraged because you didn't get the promotion. You know God has something better in store. Because you made a mistake, give up on your dreams. You know God's mercy is bigger than that mistake.
When your roots go down deep, you're not moved by what doesn't go your way. You live from a place of peace. The winds may blow, the storms may come, but you know when it's all said and done, you'll still be standing, you'll still be praising, you'll still be smiling, the scripture tells us here, "Be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord".
This is a choice we have to make. "I'm not going to be moved by these circumstances. I'm not going to let what they're saying about me steal my joy. I have a destiny to fulfill. I'm not going to live worried about my finances. I'm going to do my part and trust God to do what I can't do. I'm not going to base my value on how this person treats me. If they make me feel special, I know who I am. I'm a masterpiece. I've been fearfully and wonderfully made. My self-worth doesn't come from people.
Are you steadfast, immovable? Do your roots go down deep? If not, life is going to be like a roller-coaster. Your joy and peace will depend on your circumstances, how people treat you, what goes your way. That's surface living. That's shallow roots. God is saying, "Be steadfast. Be immovable". You have to dig down deeper. As long as you're allowing circumstances to determine whether or not you're happy, you'll never have real victory.
Sometimes we're using our faith to try to control our circumstances. I've learned it's better to use my faith to control myself in the midst of those circumstances. When you're in peace, that's a place of power. Here's the key: if you don't have peace on the inside, you're not going to some people wonder why they can't have good relationships, why they can't be successful, why they can't get ahead. It's because they have shallow roots.
If you'll stay in peace on the inside, not fight everything that doesn't go your way, then you'll see things on the outside every morning before we leave the house, we should make the decision, "Nothing that happens to me today is going to upset me. I have the grace to handle anything that comes my way".
You have to decide ahead of time. If the traffic is bad, you're not going to get upset. If somebody's rude, you're not going to be offended. If you don't get the contract, if your plans don't work out, you're not going to go around sour in self-pity.
Victoria and I were at a lake, not long ago. The water was like glass. It was as calm and peaceful as can be. I took this little rock and threw it way out to the center. It sent ripples it looked like I created a big disturbance. I had affected all the water. The truth is, a foot down, that water didn't move. It's still as calm and peaceful. There wasn't one fish saying, "I'm worried. Do you see that ripple"? Not one turtle, "Call 9-1-1. Something's wrong". Nothing on the surface affects the water down deep.
Stays calm. One way you can tell how deep your roots are, is how easily do you get upset. If the pebbles that get thrown into your lake are causing you to lose your joy, be frustrated, you need to go down deeper. "Well, Joel, somebody's talking about me at work, trying to make me look bad. That's why I'm sour". That's a pebble. The reason it's bothering you is you're on the surface. "Well, traffic was backed up last week. Took me an extra hour to get home". Another pebble.
When you have deep roots, you're grateful to be alive. You're grateful to have the job. You're grateful to be healthy. You're not focused on what's wrong. You're too busy thanking God for what's right. "Well, I didn't get the promotion". "The medical report wasn't good". "A friend betrayed me. That's why I'm discouraged". I'm not making light of those things, but in the big picture, those are pebbles.
When you know God has beauty for those ashes, when you know he'll pay you back for the unfair things, then even though the surface is disturbed, deep down, where you choose to live, you'll feel a peace. You'll be at rest. You'll know, "This too, shall pass".
Paul tells us in Colossians, Let your roots grow down what are your roots going deep down in? If you put your trust in people, sometimes people will let you down. If you put your trust in your job, your career, your money, unfortunately, things can change.
But when you let your roots grow down deep in him, and you say, "God, I know you're my provider, you're my healer, you're my vindicator, I recognize you're the source of everything good," then when difficulties come, somebody does you wrong, you have an unexpected challenge, you won't fall apart, live in self-pity. You'll be strong, stable, immovable, why?
Your roots go down deep in him. This is what a lady did in the scripture. Some workers brought her young boy in from the field. He had a terrible headache and passed out. They placed the boy in the mother's arms. She soon realized that he wasn't breathing. He had died. This wasn't a pebble. This was a boulder. Everything on the surface was disturbed. It looked like it was all out of control, but this lady had deep roots. She knew that unexpected challenge wasn't a surprise to God.
She didn't fall apart. She didn't get bitter. She got on a horse, headed out to see her friend, the prophet Elisha, and when he saw her coming in a hurry from a distance, he sent one of his men to go see if something was wrong. They stopped her and said, "Ma'am, Elisha is concerned. Is everything okay"? She said, "Yes, all is well". Kept on riding. He caught back up and asked her the same thing: "Are you sure everything's okay"? She said it again: "All is well".
How could she make that statement when she was in the middle of a crisis? She wasn't living on the surface, she went by what she knew, and she knew God was still on the throne. She knew he could make a way even though she didn't see a way. Elisha ended up coming to her house, praying for the little boy, and he was healed. He came back to life, a great miracle, but like this lady, sometimes it's not a pebble thrown into your water, so to speak. It's a boulder.
We all face unexpected challenges, things we didn't see coming: a loss, a layoff, a divorce, a sickness. It's easy to get overwhelmed, go around in self-pity, wondering why it happened, but if you'll go down deeper, not talk about the problem, not complain about how bad life's treating you, instead, like this lady, have a report of victory: "All is well. God is still on the throne. This too, shall pass".
Because you have deep roots, then even when life throws you a boulder, even when you should panic, you will feel a peace that passes understanding. You will have a strength to endure the enemy did his best. He thought for sure you would be toppled over, depressed, given up, but he miscalculated. He could only see the outside. What he couldn't see was what was underneath the surface. He didn't realize you have deep roots. You are steadfast, immovable.
Yes, he changed your circumstances, but you weren't rooted in your circumstances. You were rooted in the most high God. He never changes. He has all power. With what looked like a terminal disease. It was a virus that he picked up overseas. He has several children, beautiful wife, successful career. He's always been healthy, active. We've played sports together.
Life was good, then this unexpected challenge. Started complaining, but like this lady, he had deep roots. He didn't tell anyone about the diagnosis. He just kept doing and when you face unexpected challenges, something big, don't let that become the focus of your life. Don't let it consume you to where all you think about is "My sickness, my mistake, my breakup, my loss". Keep living life. Keep to your same routine.
Some people let the problem become their identity. They become known as the crisis, so to speak, you know, like, "I'm the man that went through a divorce". "I'm the lady that has cancer". "I'm the young person". That's what happened to you. That's not who you are. Don't let a temporary event become a permanent label.
In the scripture, Thomas doubted that Jesus rose from the dead. Eight days later, Jesus appeared to Thomas, and he changed his mind. Thomas's doubting was a very short period of time, little over a week, but he became known as "Doubting Thomas".
Sometimes people will try to label you. If you don't stay on the offensive and keep moving forward, you can become what happened to you instead of becoming this young man, he just kept going to work, loving his family, not letting that sickness dictate his life. He was taking an experimental drug. The doctors had told him how he'd probably lose his hair, not have the energy he needed, have to cut back on his schedule.
He kept going to work. Nobody knew there were times he'd get tired and have to go lay down, but he didn't complain about it. He just kept doing to the best of his ability what he would've been doing if he didn't have that sickness, and when he was first diagnosed, the cell count of the infected cells was 27 million. Just 2 months later, that cell count had come down to less than 2,000. The doctors were baffled. They said, "We don't understand it, but we consider you cured. This disease basically is undetectable in your body". That was years ago. Today he's still healthy and whole.
What am I saying? When you have deep roots, when you're not moved by circumstances, you're saying by your actions, "God, I trust you. I know you're bigger than this sickness, stronger than this difficulty". That's when God will make things happen that you could never make happen.
The Apostle Paul in the scripture, unfair situations. He was falsely accused and beaten with rods. He was lied about, put in prison. He was shipwrecked, spent the night on the open sea, went without food and water. If you study his life, it was one challenge after another, but in acts 20, Paul gives us a secret of living a victorious life. He said, "None of these things move me".
He was saying, "Yes, I was falsely accused, but I didn't let it steal my joy. I didn't spend my life trying to pay people back. I let God be my vindicator. Yes, I was shipwrecked. My plans didn't work out, but I didn't go around complaining. I knew God was still on the throne. Yes, I was put in prison. It wasn't fair, but I didn't sit around in self-pity. I started writing letters. They had me chained up and wouldn't let me leave, but they couldn't keep my words from going out". Paul wrote over half of the New Testament, much of it from a prison cell. How could he do this? He had deep roots. He said, "None of these things move me".