What's that Smell?
Read 2 Corinthians 2:14-16
Scripture Focus: Ephesians 5:1
Isn’t it amazing how our memories can be awakened by certain smells, taking us to a person, place or thing from our past? This past winter as I was working in my garden, I noticed one rose just starting to bloom. Fearing the approaching cold would hinder it, I clipped it off and brought it indoors. Over the next few days, the rose unfolded and subsequently gave off a beautiful scent which filled our living room.
The flower’s aroma took me back to childhood visits to grandma’s house in Northern California. Her home was filled with the scent of rose. There are other things I remember about those visits: Grandpa snoozing in his recliner. The feisty little Yorkshire terrier running around the house. But the aroma…that’s what hit me the most.
We’ve been created to spread the fragrance of the knowledge of God everywhere (2 Corinthians 2:14). This happens when we imitate our Lord’s example of love and sacrificial service (Ephesians 5:1). In the same way the scent of a rose conjures up a pleasant memory, our lives of service are meant to remind people of their loving Creator and His plan for them. What could be more pleasing to our heavenly Father?
Thought for the Day: What am I doing to remind others of God’s love for them?
Prayer: Lord, help us to be joyful imitators of your Son. May our lives give off the fragrance of Christ to those who may need a reminder of just how much you care for them.
Hear Ye, Hear Ye
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
Shifting sand. So much of life feels like that. Even now I’m sitting here waiting for a flight which has already been delayed 6 hours and will likely cause me to miss the next connection. Plans gone awry. Hopes left unfulfilled. Dreams delayed. Unwelcomed news.
Thankfully, there is a way to be grounded even while the rain pours and the earth beneath us shifts: Hearing the words of Christ and putting them into practice. The combination of hearing and doing is essential to success as it relates to what we build and how we weather the storms of life. Every person builds something in this life. But the lasting quality of what is constructed depends on how well we listen and how consistently we put those words into practice. This is what distinguishes wisdom from folly. I wonder…Am I being wise or foolish?
It's been said, "God gave us two ears and one mouth, so we ought to listen twice as much as we speak." I like the way Jesus puts it, "He who has ears, let him hear." - Matthew 13:9
Attentive hearing has a way of preventing unfortunate situations which our hurried actions can create. We stop to hear (really hear) those around us. We pause to hear God. This invites wisdom into our actions, infuses meaning into the doing. Hearing well engages the heart ahead of the hands, which is essential to effective service. Hearing enables us to serve out of depth of conviction and personal character, bringing life and hope to those around us.
All these benefits to the practice of hearing, and I wonder why I’m so slow to learn. I guess there’s no better time like a flight delay to practice some hearing in the midst of waiting. Hopefully, I can become a little more wise in the process!
The Trust Factor
We live in a get-things-done world which places little value on trusting God and cooperating with him to accomplish things His way and in His time. What if we could approach each life challenge as an opportunity to grow in the area of trust? There are distinct benefits to growing in trust. Here are several (Based on Numbers 20:1-13):
- Get it Right the First Time
When we allow impatience and anger to control our decisions and actions, we often find ourselves doing clean up - going back and trying to repair the damage we’ve caused to the people around us. Or work and relationships suffer, both with people and with our heavenly Father. We succeed more often when we trust God by being patient, waiting for His leading and cooperating with His instructions in the Bible.
- Honor God in the Process
What happens when we burst out in anger or resentment, allowing our pride to get the best of us? It only serves to draw attention to ourselves rather than to our amazing God. We honor God by trusting him to work in impossible situations. It’s alright to say, “Lord I don’t know how You’re going to work this one out, but help me to honor Your great Name with my attitude and actions.” That takes trust!
- Do Less - Accomplish More
Do you ever feel like you’re spinning your wheels? You approach a challenge from a number of different angles, but nothing seems to work. It might even seem like you’re going backwards. Could it be time to trust more and do less? Sometimes I’m amazed at how much gets accomplished when I step back from a situation and surrender control to God.
As believers, we not only trust God for the outcome. We’re also called to trust Him in the process. In this way, the challenges we face daily become more than mere pass/fail tests. They become opportunities to learn the benefits of trusting God.