Shade vs. Roots

I don't remember who said this but I believe that you couldn't agree more that:

"A lot of people want to enjoy the shade of church without growing roots."

Some people just "drop-in" and don't stay (or want to stay) long enough in order be committed and cultivated to become part of the shade for others.

The SHADE consists of, and is not limited to, the
Shoulders to cry on and/or who help bear burdens
Helping hands and hearts
Amiable Fellowship
Defence - in the place of prayer
Encouragement

I am challenged with how many people seem to appreciate the SHADE but do not appreciate it enough to do something to sustain and extend the SHADE to others.

One can be tempted to withdraw the SHADE from takers...and that will be wrong. We just need to find ways to encourage them to love others enough to give.
As they say: "You can give without loving but you cannot love without giving."* We need to learn and teach that "love" is not a passive word - it is a word filled with passion that leads to action...and it starts with one person. John D. Rockefeller Jr. put it well: “Think of giving not as a duty but as a privilege.”

 

Indeed it is a privilege to bear fruit and have shade to "give" & bless others with. To do that, we must have really deep roots - the deeper our roots in the Word, the richer and broader our shade to the world around us. Let's lead by example; as we lift Jesus in all we do, He will draw others to Him** and roots will develop.

Amen.

References:
*Anon  - since attributed to many people
**John 12:32