Living the Pot Life

One of my favorite things about the Bible is all of the agriculture based analogies and parables. I grew up on a farm, studied agriculture at the University of Georgia and now get to work with farmers on a daily basis for my job. All of this exposure has created a love and understanding for the things that God has created and uses to feed us. I love when he also uses such basic things as plants to show truths about his character.
I see more and more people taking up urban gardening and caring for houseplants. This means that plants are being confined to pots as their homes. There really isn't anything wrong with that. I myself have many potted plants. The only thing is plants that are grown in pots grow differently than plants in the ground.
One of the main differences is the roots. Roots are plants way of gathering nutrients. The soil is their grocery store and they need well established roots to get the food and water they need. In the ground, especially when benevolent humans (or animals) do not fertilize them, they need to grow expansive root systems so that when the droughts come or the nutrients run out on the surface they are able to reach down deep and gather what they need.
Potted plants do not have this ability, they are contained by the walls of their container. They are completely reliant on their owners to come water and fertilize them. Their space limitations do not stop their root growth though. Many times when the roots reach the edge of the pot, they are like goldfish in a bowl. They just bounce off the edge and head in another direction. Often this leads to roots going in circles in their pots. Soon the roots that were supposed to be fanning out in all directions were they planted in the ground are displacing all of the life giving soil and nutrients in their pots. This will cause the plants above ground growth to slow down and can even lead to plant decline and death. So the gardeners will take the plant out of the pot cut the roots back and put it in a pot with new soil. A plant can only recover from this treatment so many times before it will start to decline.
I think people can be like this. Many people have a tendency to live in pots. They feel safe. All of our needs are met (so we think) but we aren't living up to our fullest potential either. We don't set down roots in one location. We are always looking for the next thing. We keep cutting our roots and moving to a new pot. Or we keep sitting in one location and letting our roots grow in circles when we could fully commit to the notion that home is where our feet are and truly grow the way we were meant to grow. Live like you are planted in the ground even if you don't know if it is a permanent location. Grow your roots as deep and wide where you are currently planted as if this is your permanent spot. This kind of growth will produce more fruit and better fruit that will not only benefit you but also the community you are planted in.
It might be scary outside of the pot. We will have to trust that our needs will be met and look toward the Sun to receive that life giving Light that will meet all our needs according to His riches and glory.