When I finished teaching that Sunday morning at the national youth service (NYSC) orientation camp, the comments I got from the NYSC officials got me thinking; “Are you from so and so Church? Are you sure you are a corps member? Your teaching was very impactful.” I was only a corps member. I had learnt to take root downward.
Friend, you need to take root downward if you hope to bear fruits upward. Take deep roots in the word of God (Colossians 3:16). False teachers would be a major problem for these last days (2 Peter 2:1). But the word of God is our stabiliser and sanitiser.
Take deep roots in prayers and intimacy with God (Luke 18:1, Acts 6:4). The battle will keep getting fiercer these days with oppositions from within and without. If you must take over territories (in career, business, ministry, politics etc.), you must know how to contend with and subdue territorial powers (Ephesians 6:12).
A Daniel that must survive and succeed successive administrations must have developed the needed toughness and soundness before time (Daniel 1:8, 21). He must have also “mastered” his daily spiritual routine that cannot be affected by changing terrain, location, government, schedules and what have you. He must have ‘a mobile spiritual life’ (Daniel 6:10-11).
Take deep roots in your personal knowledge of Christ and walk with Him (Matthew 16:16-19, 24:5, Colossians 2:6-7). Attending Church is not the same as knowing Christ.
Take deep roots in character formation (Genesis 39:9). God commits to you at the level of your character, not giftedness. Let God work on you and take you through processes of character formation. A Joseph that must be a Prime Minister must have developed a strong character to say “No” to Potiphar’s wife (Genesis 39:10-12).