STAYING ABOVE REPROACH: Why you should dig up the root rather than cut off the fruit

photo by sebarex

It often occurs that when kids get together fights and arguments ensue. At times, it is easy to determine where the root of the conflict is, while at other times the root is hidden though the fruit is obvious. When this happens, it is not unusual for the non-problem starter to be treated as the problem starter and the problem starter to be treated as the non-problem starter. Certainly, correction should be applied to the group, but without addressing the root cause the problem will rise again.

Likewise, we often see all the conflict arising in our heart, in our marriage and our family, in our finances, in our workplace or church, in our health, in our attitude, etc. and rather than taking the necessary time to pray, ask, and discern what the root is, we just go around lopping off the fruit and sometimes the entire branch! Our thinking is that then the problem is corrected and the conflict is eliminated. 

But if the root is lust, the problem is not pornography. If the root is selfishness, the problem is not your wife and your children. If the root is greed, the problem is not debt. If the root is laziness, the problem is not weight. If the root is pride, the problem is not authority or submission. If the root is a lack of planning, the problem is not the emergency. 

But if this is not our understanding...

 

we throw out the tv with the computer rather than repent of our sin and deal with the lust in our heart. 

 

we go on extra nice dates with our wife and do extra fun things with our children rather than asking them for forgiveness and saying “no” to other things and other people so we can be home. 

 

we start giving more than usual in the offering or tithing thinking it’s our ticket out of financial trouble rather than admitting our ignorance, confessing our mistakes, asking for help, and changing our financial behaviors. 

 

we take drastic, immediate steps to “fix” our bodies rather than establishing daily and deliberate disciplines of healthy eating and exercise. 

 

we feel “called” to another career, church or city rather than trusting those over us or, if we’re the leader, we feel “led” to ignore the advice of others rather than humbling ourselves to listen and to learn from them.

 

If our character is going to be conformed to Jesus, we need to be sensitive and respond to the Holy Spirit who alone can search and know the deepest, most hidden parts of our hearts (Psalm 139:1,23). Why should we cut off the fruit when we (He) can dig up the root? 

“For he knows the secrets of the heart.” Psalm 44:21