Celie Wilkes found herself disappointed.

She bought a succulent plant and started caring for it. It was when she was ready to transplant it, that she realized a sobering fact.

The plant was plastic.

“I was so proud of this plant. It was full, beautiful coloring, just an overall perfect plant … I had a watering plan for it. If someone else tried to water my succulent, I would get so defensive because I just wanted to keep good care of it. I absolutely loved my succulent.”

In the transplant process, as she dug down to the bottom, she found the styrofoam with glued sand at the bottom.

It looked alive, but it was nothing more than an imitation.

So many people adopt an imitation faith, one that feels good and is popular with the masses.

Jesus instructed that we must get “down to the bottom” to find out.

“Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.” (Matthew 7:24–25)

Genuine faith that grows and flourishes is stable at its base. It puts God over self and obedience over mere observance. That kind of faith has substance and life.

Since her discovery, Wilkes replaced her plastic plants with genuine succulents.

Is it time to find out if you have nothing more than a plastic faith?

-Robert G. Taylor–