“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.” – Colossians 2:6-7

Faith is not a static possession to be tucked away inside our hearts for ourselves. It’s a living, breathing journey meant to grow upward toward God, inward into truth, and outward into the lives of others. In Colossians 2:7, Paul paints this beautiful, multidimensional picture of faith that’s rooted, built up, strengthened, and overflowing. It’s a vision of spiritual health that moves in every direction.

When we grow upward, we build our lives on Christ. This is the foundation of worship, living not just with belief in God, but with a life aimed toward Him. Worship isn’t just a moment; it’s a posture. It’s choosing daily to look to God as our source, our purpose, and our hope. When we build our lives on our relationship with God, our hearts naturally begin to rise in awe and surrender.

But upward growth isn’t enough without being rooted inwardly. Just like a tree can’t stand tall without deep roots, our faith can’t endure unless it’s anchored in truth. Life’s trials test us, for sure! So God invites us to dig deep, letting His Word reshape our hearts, grounding us in who He is. This kind of inward growth produces resilience. It’s how faith survives storms, not by pretending they don’t exist, but by holding tightly to the One who never changes.

As we grow upward and inward, faith inevitably begins to push outward, reaching into the lives of others with love and impact. Paul describes this as “overflowing with thankfulness.” A faith that’s alive doesn’t stay contained; it spills over in kindness, service, compassion, and generosity. It brings light to dark places and healing to hurting hearts. This outward movement isn’t forced. It’s the natural result of a life rooted in a relationship with our Triune God.

Occasionally, we should be considering what direction our faith is growing. Is it reaching higher in worship, digging deeper in truth, or widening in love? We should be living our faith upward, inward, and outward.