If you were a child in my house growing up, you spent Spring Saturday mornings in the yard. You would be picking weeds, mowing, or doing any other sort of lawn/outdoor chores. But most likely, you were picking weeds. There were a lot of weeds. We had big flower beds in our front yard and a garden in the back. Anyone who has an intimate relationship with pesky little growths in their flowerbeds knows that you really have to get deep down in the dirt around a weed if you want to… shall we appropriately say…nip them in the bud. Some weeds have roots that are surprisingly deep, and require a shovel to get the roots loose enough to pull out. I’m sure it was because I was trying to hurry through the task and just pick the leaves off the weeds, but my dad had to teach me that to really pick weeds, one had to get ALL the root too. Without digging deeply, that weed would be right back next Saturday.
This blog is about the roots of doctrine, so I felt obligated to use a horticultural story. You know, “roots” and all. We’ll come back to the weeds, but let's take a small detour to talk about doctrine.
Don’t be scared off by the word doctrine. This word just means a set of beliefs and teachings on a particular subject. In our church, we follow doctrines based on comprehensive teachings in Scripture. We have a doctrine of God. That means, we have a set of beliefs about who God is. We have a doctrine on sin, the family, the church, grace, creation, the Kingdom of God, etc. We ask “what does the Bible teach us about this thing?” and the doctrine is shaped.
Here is why having good doctrine is helpful in life. When you hear about some new scientific study that seems to contradict scripture, you can recall that scripture is God breathed (1 Timothy 3:16-17). When your soul is crushed because you face tragedy and can’t understand how God could let this happen, the time you spent forming the doctrine of who God is gently reminds you that God is good (Psalm 34:8). Maybe you’re spiraling in anxiety because life feels absolutely out of control. This is when a doctrine of sovereignty can remind you that our God holds all things (Colossians 1:16-17). Knowing what the Bible teaches on issues like these keeps us deeply rooted.
Now let’s pretend we are all little weeds (I’d prefer to be a dandelion, because they are cute). Doubt, sorrow, and anxiety will try to pluck away at the leaves of your beliefs, but doctrine forms the roots that hold you beneath the surface. Now forgive me for using a weed for my analogy, but be like a weed. Grow your doctrinal understanding by asking, “What do I need to better understand?” Then ask when you read the Bible, “What does this passage teach me about God?” And don’t ask this alone. Do it within the church community. We really are meant to live life learning together.
Being rooted in scripturally-backed doctrine makes us stronger against the attacks the enemy throws at us. A great way to make sure you are growing in your doctrine is to intentionally read through the Bible. God’s Word equips us. It is January, a great time to start a new Bible reading plan or start the study the church is doing with the blue 24 Essentials book titled Follow Jesus. I’m doing the Bible Re-cap with Tara-Leigh Cobble, a read through the Bible resource I’ve loved. The women’s Bible study just started up - maybe join there!
You will never regret the time you spend in the Word of God. We need it, even when we don’t want it. Some days what we read will feel perfectly timed and like it was exactly what we needed. Others will feel like you just read some words. Keep at it, because regular and thoughtful reading of God’s Word helps us to build a good understanding of the doctrines of God.
I’ll say it again. Be a weed.
Meet the Author!
Danielle is a native Okie who stumbled into a life of creatively sharing the Bible. Danielle spent five years working at Museum of the Bible. She now works as the Director of Communications for Inspire Experiences and as a Digital Media Consultant for Voice of the Martyrs. She is also a student at Southern Seminary, pursuing a Masters of Arts in Theology. Danielle has a passion for the arts, specifically painting, and has a special love for her pup, Penny. She is married to the man of her dreams, Caleb. The Smiths are proud members of Council Road and cherish opportunities to know and love God more through relationships and teaching in the body of Christ.