Several varieties of American Southwest desert plants spring up in summer and dry out in autumn, breaking off at ground level. Wind carries these flimsy, rootless tumbleweeds across the desert. They are a fitting picture of people who lack roots so tumble through life at the mercy of whatever influence strikes them.
The Apostle Paul explains in Ephesians 4:14-15 that one of the purposes of pastors and Bible teachers is, “That we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ.” Do we recognize the crucial importance of studying and learning the Word of God? Deceitfully clever ideologies and schools of thought abound, all trying to capture our interest and persuade. If we don’t know what we believe or why we believe it, we have no root to ground us. We’re tumbling and stumbling, susceptible to anything.
Already in the first century, Paul was having to warn Christians in Colossians 2 of spiritually dangerous teachings. Consider the strength of Paul’s plea for caution: “that no one may delude you”(v. 4), “that no one takes you captive”(v. 8), “let no one disqualify you”(v. 18). Colossian 2:19 states that self-made religions gain influence when we do not hold fast to Christ. Colossians 2:6-7 clarifies the only way we will be able to tell true spirituality from the fake so that we can develop solid roots and prevent ourselves from being blown about as a tumbleweed: “Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving”(Colossians 2:6-7). Note during this month of thanksgiving that these verses mention a spirit of gratefulness which should result the more we learn about our God and become established in the truth.
Our faith may be in whatever religious rituals and spiritual platitudes make us feel better or strike us at the moment, but that faith doesn’t change truth. In order to be genuine, recognize what is genuine, and have root so that we aren’t tumbling tumbleweeds, we must learn and follow the true Christ and his Word. The deeper our grounding in truth, the less susceptible we will be to error and the more thankful we will be for Christ.