Romans 11: 17-18 “But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you.”

In this letter to the church at Rome, Paul was reminding the Gentiles not to contend with the Jewish believers. He was also teaching them a valuable lesson. Both sides had reason to be ‘puffed up’ or think a lot of themselves. Pride and self-importance is not new to our world today. He was giving a very stern warning not to be overly filled with themselves or the importance of what it is they do. Sometimes, we might forget that the things we do for God are not things he could not do without us. We do not keep the kingdom of heaven running by our continued obedience. Grace does not stop falling, favor does not stop rewarding and blessings do not fail to bless if we suddenly decided to stop what we are doing. The branches do not feed the tree, nourish the tree, or anchor the tree in a storm. Rather it is the root of the tree that holds fast, it is the root that nourishes and provides what the rest of the tree needs. How fortunate are we to have been grafted in! It is hard to feel overly important if we acknowledge that without God, our root, we too would wither and die.

Pray: “Heavenly Father, we are so fortunate to be able to share in the life-giving spirit that flows from you to us. It nourishes us, sustains us, strengthens us and makes us fruitful. Do not allow me to be filled with my own self-importance and forget who it is who truly sustains whom. Without you I would be lost. Thank you, Lord, for being my support in everything. In my brother’s blessed name I pray – Amen.”