7 Benefits Of A Life Rooted in God
A life rooted in God isn’t just a religious practice—it’s a transformational relationship that grounds, nourishes, and grows every part of who we are. Like a tree planted by living water, we find strength, peace, and purpose that withstand life’s storms. This article explores the blessings of staying connected to God—how it impacts our inner world, our relationships, and our journey of faith.
What It Means to Be Rooted in God
Being rooted in God means building your life from a place of connection, trust, and dependence on him. Like a tree planted by water, you draw strength and stability from his presence, no matter what season you’re in.
To be rooted in God is not just believing about him but knowing him personally
To be rooted in God means we know him personally and intimately. We don’t just believe in some “far off” deity who created us, set the world in motion, and simply watches from his throne in heaven. We believe in a personal, caring, loving Father who created us with affection and intention. This truth in turn motivates us to want to be close to him and know him better.
As they were preparing to enter the Promised Land, the Israelites were given the commandments to follow God and to be obedient to him alone. They were entering land occupied by people who worshiped idols or who lived for their own pleasure.
In order to protect them from straying (as God knew they would), Moses conveyed the laws to the Israelites and implored them to remain close to God, not just following the rules but knowing God intimately. Moses said, “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts” (Deut 6:4-6, NIV).
Only a close, personal relationship with God will truly satisfy our souls, which long for a deep and meaningful connection: “The LORD will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength. You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring” (Is 58:11, NLT).
Rooted = abiding
A reciprocal, personal relationship between us and God sets the stage for a deeper connection. Through spending more time with him, growing in faith and trust as we see and experience him daily in our lives, we come to abide in him.
Jesus spoke to this deeper relationship in John 15 when he used the imagery of the vine and branches, where we can have a close, life-giving connection with him: “’I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing… As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love’” (Jn 15:5, 9-10, NIV).
“Abide” means to remain, dwell, or stay connected. So when we stay connected with Christ, we are continually drawing life, nourishment, and strength from him.
Abiding means that we live continuously in an ongoing, dependent relationship with him, including remaining in his Word, living in love with him and others, bearing fruit in our character to reflect Jesus, and staying close to him through prayer, worship, and obedience.
A stable, anchored life flows from connection with God
Anchoring the core of our being in our own strengths or abilities, the world, or other people creates a weak tether which is certain to fail in the testing storms of life. We are also susceptible to wrong thinking about God or our self-worth, which holds us back from a true connection with him.
Rather, when we are rooted in relationship with God, we have a firm foundation of truth to build life on.
“This is what the LORD says: ‘Let not the wise boast of their wisdom or the strong boast of their strength or the rich boast of their riches, but let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,’ declares the LORD” (Jer 9:23-24, NIV).
We can also take comfort in this truth: “The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged” (Deut 31:8, NIV).
Also, Jesus promised, “’And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age’” (Matt 28:20b, NIV). How motivating and encouraging is the knowledge of who God is and how he connects with us!
So when the storms of life come, we can stand firm even though we may be shaken (see Ps 1, Matt 7:24-27).
7 Benefits of a Life Rooted in God
When we are deeply rooted in a relationship with God, and are abiding in Christ like the branch that remains in the vine, we produce fruit that cannot be made by our own strength or effort. You’ll notice greater peace, less striving, clearer identity, deep joy and love, lasting fruit, and a heart that seeks God even in difficulty. Your thoughts, emotions, and choices begin to reflect the security you’ve found in Him. It is the natural – and supernatural – result of connection with God.
Here are 7 benefits of a life rooted in God:
1. Peace that surpasses understanding
When our roots go deep into the Lord, his goodness, and his presence, the storms and chaos of life do not have to control our well-being or our heart.
A well-known related verse states, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Phil 4:6-7, NIV).
It is important to remember, though, that “peace” isn’t the absence of problems, or that you don’t care about what’s going on.
It is the presence of God in the midst of the situation; it is a calm that defies human logic or psychological strength, and it anchors our soul in trust and reliance on God alone.
It is a good idea to practice the next verses: “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me – put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you” (vv8-9, NIV).
2. Confidence in life’s storms
When we are rooted in God, we are secure and stable. When we follow God’s ways and not our own or the world’s, we are firm in the Lord and not shaken by life’s struggles.
“Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither – whatever they do prospers” (Ps 1:1-3, NIV).
Again, it is not absence of difficulty, but the fact that we are prosperous when we remain rooted in faith, not fear. We can have confidence when we recall that God is with us and working through the storm.
Jesus echoed this when he told his disciples, “’Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock’” (Matt 7:24-25, NLT).
3. Deeper love and relationship with others
Since God is all, and is in all, we long not only for relationship with him personally, but also with others, as each person is created by and for God.
Therefore, we are not only to love God but to love others, for we are all part of him. And “we love each other because he loved us first” (1 Jn 4:19, NLT).
And it is only natural that as God’s love flows into us, it will flow out of us – into our marriage, family, friendships, and even difficult relationships.
“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us” (1 Jn 4:7-12, NIV).
When we are rooted in God’s love, our love is deeper, patience stronger, and forgiveness freer. In that, we reflect the heart of Christ to those around us.
4. A heart that longs for Him more than anything else
The more time we spend with the Lord, the more we realize that God is the treasure – not just the giver of good things but the ultimate gift himself.
And the gift of salvation through Jesus is not a one-and-done experience, but our lives are an everlasting walk with the Creator and Lover of our souls.
So let us follow Isaiah’s mandate: “Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near” (Is 55:6, NIV).
And when we recall God’s words shared through Jeremiah noted above, we can also remember that God promises to be there when we reach out to him: “’Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart’” (Jer 29:12-13, NIV). Not only can we have confidence that he has good plans, but he is with us when we call to him!
5. Clarity and direction for your life
When we abide in God, the Holy Spirit leads us with wisdom and discernment that is beyond our own capability. Even when life is difficult, decisions become easier and clearer, because we are guided by God’s Word and presence.
“You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand” (Ps 16:11, NIV).
We learn to trust his guidance and move forward even when we can’t see the whole picture. “’I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you’” (Ps 32:8, NIV).
And we would be wise to follow the advice in Prov 3:5-6 (NLT): “Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.” Now, this does not mean you are to ignore your own ability to problem solve or make good decisions, or to forget about the brain that God gave you.
However, it would be good to remember that God’s will should trump our own, and if we follow him we are less likely to make wrong choices that may be more self-serving and result in less healthy choices or even wrong decisions.
6. Lasting joy and contentment
Happiness is a feeling that is temporary and fleeting, often related to external situations or events.
Joy is usually used to describe a deeper state of emotion, often from within and independent of circumstances. Joy flows from being rooted in God; it is anchored in who he is. This kind of contentment sustains us in trials and struggles, and keeps us grounded in gratitude.
Jesus said, “’I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be completed’” (Jn 15:11, NIV). What did he say before this statement? As noted above, he spoke of being the vine and we are the branches, and when we abide in him, we experience his love, produce lasting fruit that brings glory to God, and live in overflowing joy.
In thanking the Philippian believers for their gifts sent to him while he was imprisoned, Paul added, “I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength” (Phil 4:12b-13, NIV).
How often we have thought of the “do all things” part of this Scripture, but we must remember that it is tied to joy and contentment independent of circumstances or outcome.
7. Fruitful purpose that glorifies God
When we remain in Christ, our lives begin to produce fruit. We develop deeper character, pursue opportunities for service, and have greater impact, all of which brings glory to God and goodness to others.
As just mentioned, Jesus spoke to this when he said, “’This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples’” (Jn 15:8, NIV).
Many Christians are familiar with the fruit of the Spirit listed in Gal 5:22-23 (NLT): “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”
Notice that Paul points out that we are not responsible solely in our own strength to bear fruit; when we partner with the Holy Spirit, it is he who develops that fruit within us. Being rooted in God gives eternal meaning to your work, relationships, and everyday life.
You’re no longer chasing worth – you’re living from it.
How will you draw closer to God today and experience the benefits of a life rooted in him, the abundant life that Jesus offers?
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Scripture quotations marked WEB are taken from the WORLD ENGLISH BIBLE, WEB, public domain.
Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW LIVING TRANSLATION, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
