Ingrafted branches

Ingrafted is the past tense form of the word engraft. Engraft: "to insert, as a section of one tree or plant into another." Now why am I talking about branches? I am sure you have heard that God is the vine and we are the branches before. As I was reading this morning, I came across some pretty cool passages that I hope you can think about and use them for encouragement. 

Romans 11:17-21 says: If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from olive root, do not consider yourself superior to those other branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you. You will say then, "Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in it." Granted. But they were broke off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but tremble. For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either.

That passage is a little weird and understand, I had to read it a couple of times in order to get something out of it. Here is what I thought was the most important part about that unique passage. It was the beginning of verse 18. "Do not consider yourself as superior to those other branches." If you think you are someone who is better than everybody and you distance yourself from everybody you cannot do that, we are all equal. Ingrafted is the process of branches or plants inserting themselves into other plants. (I know that sounds a little wrong) If we break away from something like the branch did, we are too find other people to be rooted with. I hope that makes some sense to you. If God calls you to branch off and try new things or meet other other people, do not be hesitant to do so. Romans 11:29 says this: for God's gifts and and his call are irrevocable. 

The word of God is so cool. In the very next chapter of Romans, Paul talks about the same thing but in a more simple and understanding way. 

Romans 12:3-5 says: For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so we in Christ, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 

Those two passages are so similar. The common fact that I encourage you to remember is that you should never think of yourself as higher than others, through faith we from one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 

I know that a lot of people who are Christians struggle with the fact that some know more than others. For example, I know a lot of people who struggle with reading the bible and sometimes they don't feel like they are loved as much as the Christians who know all these bible facts and what not. That is so wrong to believe, because we are all equal. We are all the same through faith. It literally says that all over the Bible which is so cool. If you are that person who struggles with that feeling, don't dwell on it, don't focus on the things that you struggle with as a Christian; rather, focus on the things that make you a Christian. 

I hope and pray that the Spirit works through you while you read this today and that you can really learn something. 

Win the day!