Grounded. That word carries with it so much weight and meaning. As a kid growing up it meant that I was most certainly in trouble. Back in the day when I was a kid we didn't worry about being grounded from all of our electronic devices and computers because they didn't exist like they do know (except for the Atari which was freakin' sweet). Instead, being grounded meant that I couldn't play outside, which further meant that I was stuck inside without anything to do but read a book or contemplate what I had done.
Today, if you were to ground a child from going outside to play then you would be doing him a favor. So many of them want to stay inside to play video games or spend time on the computer. Maybe the punishment we need to give our kids is to ground them from being inside!
But grounding doesn't just imply punishment. Airplanes are grounded in hazardous weather conditions, which in turn renders them ineffective for the purpose for which they were created. In electrical terms, the ground wire can be that which prevents contact with dangerous voltage or it can serve as a reference point against which other potentials can be measured.
Perhaps that most appealing definition of grounding that I have found is the reference point it gives for us in our relationship with Christ. The general understanding of the term carries with it the idea of being stationary, situated in a certain spot for a period of time. Consider how Paul explains how this plays out for the believer in Colossians 2:6-7:
Our center is Christ. He is our focal point. Being busy can send us flying all over the place with Church activities being the source of so much of our exhaustion. Instead, ground yourself in Christ, giving yourself a "spiritual timeout" where you almost force yourself to dwell more on Him and His beauty, holiness, and grace.
Today, if you were to ground a child from going outside to play then you would be doing him a favor. So many of them want to stay inside to play video games or spend time on the computer. Maybe the punishment we need to give our kids is to ground them from being inside!
But grounding doesn't just imply punishment. Airplanes are grounded in hazardous weather conditions, which in turn renders them ineffective for the purpose for which they were created. In electrical terms, the ground wire can be that which prevents contact with dangerous voltage or it can serve as a reference point against which other potentials can be measured.
Perhaps that most appealing definition of grounding that I have found is the reference point it gives for us in our relationship with Christ. The general understanding of the term carries with it the idea of being stationary, situated in a certain spot for a period of time. Consider how Paul explains how this plays out for the believer in Colossians 2:6-7:
Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.Think of Mary sitting at the feet of Jesus as her sister Martha scurries around the house being a busybody. Mary gets it. She chooses to be grounded in Christ, focusing on being with Him instead of always having to do something for Him.
Our center is Christ. He is our focal point. Being busy can send us flying all over the place with Church activities being the source of so much of our exhaustion. Instead, ground yourself in Christ, giving yourself a "spiritual timeout" where you almost force yourself to dwell more on Him and His beauty, holiness, and grace.
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