05/24/2026
Rooted
Colossians 2:6–7
“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught.”
This is the guiding verse behind Rooted Life Collective. We are providing a space for the community to be Rooted. Built up. Strengthened.
But what is it about roots?
The word translated as “rooted” comes from the Greek word rhizoō (rhid-zoh-oh), which means to establish deeply, to ground securely, and make stable. It comes from the root word rhiza- meaning root, source, origin, or nourishment system. Like the root system of a tree.
I walk in the park almost every day, and there are these beautiful, tall, mature trees there. Their trunks are thick and weathered. Their branches stretch wide over the path, and their roots run deep beneath the surface where nobody can even see them.
They’ve stood through years of storms, heavy winds, harsh winters, droughts, and seasons that tried to wear them down. And yet they’re still standing.
But I’ve noticed something along the banks of the river that runs through the park. In the areas where the soil is eroding, the trees with shallow roots are the ones that are growing sideways and eventually fall when the weather strikes. And I think that’s true for people too. Storms reveal the depth of our roots. When life gets shaky, shallow roots can’t hold the weight and our world seems to come crashing down.
I’ve lived through seasons like that. Seasons where I was trying to figure out my identity, building relationships with the wrong people, struggling with purpose, faith, or mental health. Seasons where I felt alone, isolated, disconnected, or depressed. Seasons where I was surrounded by people, yet still didn’t feel truly known. Seasons where my roots weren’t deep.
And one of the hardest parts?
Walking through those seasons alone…
See there’s a difference between being around people and being rooted in safe community. You can be surrounded by people and still feel unseen. Still feel guarded. Still feel like you have to perform, filter yourself, or carry everything alone. A lot of people have access to crowds but not true connection.
That’s why your faith community matters so much. One of the roots we need in life is strong, authentic community with other believers to help us establish our faith deeply, to ground us securely, and make us stable when storms come. Not just Sunday-to-Sunday church small talk. Not just showing up somewhere and smiling politely while still carrying everything alone.
God never designed you to carry life alone. He designed you to need real people you could actually do life with. Your people. Like Ecclesiastes 4:12 says, “A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” You need the people who strengthen your faith and pull you closer to peace, purpose, and who God created you to become. Especially when life gets hard.
There are many roots that anchor us- prayer, wisdom, accountability, God’s Word, healthy relationships. But community is one of the deepest. That’s why one of the first things Jesus did when he began his ministry was round up his disciples. He knew doing it alone was never the plan.
So the question is:
Do you have people around you who strengthen your faith?
Do you have a support system when life gets heavy?
Have you been trying to survive on shallow roots?
I want to pray this over you today:
That God would lead you to people who support your walk with Him. That you would be strengthened through genuine community.
That if you’ve been carrying life alone, you would have the courage to reach out and let people in. And that your roots would grow deep enough to withstand whatever storms come. Because the goal isn’t just growth on the surface. It’s deep growth within fertile soil and strong roots that can withstand the weather.
Healthy roots don’t happen accidentally. They’re built intentionally. If you’re interested in being part of a community, please reach out. We are building something here that is dedicated to creating healthy roots through community and we want you to be a part of it.
🫶🏻 Ashley Himes
