Coastal redwoods are the tallest living tree species on earth. They can exceed 300 feet in height, and may be 18-20 feet in diameter. The roots of a coastal redwood are only 4 to 6 feet deep, but spread out from the tree as far as 125 feet.
This isn’t much support for a tall, heavy tree. Additionally, rains can erode layers of topsoil, weakening the root support system. And strong winds can bring even the biggest giant crashing to the ground.
So God designed the roots of individual redwoods to grow intertwined with those of their neighbors. By “holding hands” underground, the roots form a network that allows the trees to withstand the day-to-day soil erosion and even big storms.
And God designed Christians to hold hands, too.
I’ve often heard people say, “My faith is personal between me and God.” While there is an intimate aspect of faith in God, he designed faith like he designed coastal redwoods—to grow. That happens best when we interlock our faith with other Christians.
The Bible warns us not to shrug off the storms of trouble and erosion of truth in this world. “Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work” (Ephesians 4:15,16).
Note well here. Sharing our Christian faith with each other is not an end in itself. Holy huddles aren’t really holy, unless they cause us to grow.
Our Christ-centered togetherness is a gift from God, as we hold hands to grow big and tall like a coastal redwood. So get together, sing together, eat together, play together, work together, study together, and pray together with fellow Christians—it’ll strengthen your support structure so that you can grow to the glory of Jesus Christ.
PRAYER: Dear Jesus, thank you for the Christians in my life, my group and my church. They hold me up. They make me strong. And I pray I do the same for them, so that we all keep growing. Amen.
FURTHER MEDITATION: Prayerfully meditate on your growth and maturing process as a believer. What is an excuse you’ve allowed yourself to believe, preventing you from growth in a certain area? Where do you struggle most to trust God? If you had unlimited resources, what is a godly trait you’d like to better develop? Identify at least one or two other Christians who could help you take a few first steps toward improvement—they might have insight, or could provide loving accountability, or offer encouragement or prayer.