Root your life in Christ to transform challenges into opportunities for spiritual growth.

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Kaleb Nation

Lead Director

As Christians, we often face struggles that test our faith—whether in spiritual growth, finances, or the pressures of living a holy life in an increasingly chaotic world. These challenges can feel overwhelming, but they are opportunities, given by God, to deepen our reliance on Him and strengthen our walk. Below, I’ve depicted a graph to help illustrate a useful way to visualize how this progression flows.

These are primarily spiritual activities, though they manifest in the physical world through our actions. This is often where Christians get lost—translating spiritual realities into practical, physical applications. The graph is designed to provide visual substance to these concepts, showing a timeline of progression over months. My hope is that this visual aid may assist those who struggle to grasp spiritual principles often spoken of but not fully materialized in their lives.

stages of spiritual growth

The reality is, without being deeply rooted in Christ, every challenge feels like a mountain too steep to climb. Keeping God’s will as the primary focus is key to producing spiritual fruit. Think about it: when life gets hard—when bills pile up, or when you feel distant from God—what do you lean on? If it’s anything other than Christ, His promises, and the power of the Spirit, it’s easy to fall into frustration, anxiety, and despair. A shaky foundation, rattled by struggle, can lead to quick decisions that offer temporary relief but result in long-term regret. This mirrors the lesson Jesus illustrates in Matthew 7:24-27 through the parable of the wise and foolish builders.

Jesus explains that those who hear His words and put them into practice are like a wise man who built his house on a rock. When the rain came and the winds blew, the house stood firm because it had a solid foundation. In contrast, those who hear His words but do not act on them are like a foolish man who built his house on sand. When the storms came, that house collapsed.

Root your life in Christ
This passage reminds us that merely hearing God’s Word is not enough—we must build our lives upon it. When we root ourselves in Christ by consistently reading the Word, praying, and living in alignment with His teachings, we establish a foundation that can withstand life’s toughest battles. But here’s where we often get lost: how do we truly practice and apply these spiritual disciplines so they can powerfully work in our lives?

"Hearing God’s Word is not enough—we must build our lives upon it."

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James 1:22 reminds us, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says!” This requires putting our prayers into action, symbolized by the Hebrew letter Kaf, which represents the hand—the extension of our will in carrying out God’s work. Let your faith move from words to deeds, using your hands to reflect His will in your life. But how do we do this?
We start with prayer. God-honoring prayer is centered on God’s will. Christ gave us the perfect example when He taught His disciples how to pray: “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven” (Matthew 6:10). Christ aligned Himself with His Father, and we must imitate that. The next step is to seek God for the answers to our prayers. God often nudges us into situations that provide the answers we’re looking for. Are you willing to seek, knock, and find? Often, your hands will become the vessels through which your prayers are fulfilled.
Another critical aspect of building your life on God’s Word is commitment. Many people misunderstand this, deceiving themselves with half-hearted efforts. Let’s be real—life is unpredictable, and we all have moments when we feel like we’re sinking. Building a foundation deeply rooted in God’s Word isn’t about avoiding struggles; it’s about thriving through them because we’re anchored in something far greater than ourselves. So how do we apply His Word? The answer is simpler than we think.
Colossians 2:6-7 says, “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, and overflowing with thankfulness.” This reveals how we should walk with God: actively seeking His will, honoring His Son, and asking the Spirit to fill us with His light. Over time, through consistent practice, this becomes a spiritual habit.
Unfortunately, many people struggle at this point—memorizing verses but mastering none, eventually falling back into self-reliance. In doing so, they create idols or “Ishmaels” in their attempts to solve their problems on their own. The core of your focus needs to be on letting Christ’s “yoke” rest upon you. At its heart, this means learning to rely on God’s strength by finding true rest in Him.
Root your life in Christ
Where should you start? The simplest way is by being still and asking God to empty you. “Take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5) until you have surrendered all worries, concerns, and any attempt to control things outside of God’s will. This isn’t an easy practice, but it is powerful. Over time, if mastered, it will allow you to truly build a meaningful life on God’s Word. If you cannot find rest in God this way, your method may vary slightly, but the essence of being still before Him is crucial. Without stillness and surrender, you will never fully allow Him to lead you.

Remember, God promises to act on behalf of those who wait for Him. Isaiah 64:4 says, “Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for Him.” As you wait on the Lord, trust that He is working in your life, preparing the way, and leading you into His perfect will.

Whether you’re struggling in your finances, feeling spiritually dry, or wrestling with living a holy life amidst worldly pressures, your foundation in Christ will sustain you. Our connection to God the Father through Christ’s sacrifice, sealed by the Holy Spirit, is the only unshakeable foundation in the cosmos. Isaiah 28:16 declares, “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who relies on it will never be stricken with panic.” This foundation, rooted in Christ, is unmovable, unshakable, and eternal. It transforms you from merely surviving to truly thriving. Rooting yourself in Christ means you’re not just responding to life’s problems; you’re prepared for them.
Root your life in Christ

"Rooting yourself in Christ means you’re not just responding to life’s problems; you’re prepared for them."

Kaleb Nation Tweet
When you build your life on the solid foundation of Christ, it doesn’t mean the storms won’t come—it means that when they do, you will stand firm. You’ll know who holds your future, and that assurance will carry you through. So, the question is, how deep are your roots? What are you building your life upon? If it’s not Christ, today is the perfect time to start digging deeper because the foundation of a champion begins and ends in Him.

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