A mom and daughter came to my house for tea one day and handed me a bouquet of eighteen exquisite long-stemmed roses.
Over the next two weeks, I marveled at the bouquet’s beauty—creamy ivory petals edged with pink that progressed to a velvety burgundy. They stood elegant and upright as if aware of how superior they were. But their glory faded slowly into shriveling, slumping browns. As I removed them from their vases, their strong thorns pierced my fingers.
I reflected on how our earthly cultures love glorious presentations—social, business, and political platforms of showy superiority and success. Like my roses, elegant and elite, but oh, so temporary. Furthermore, those carefully cultivated flowers had an unpleasant odor, which surprised me, for natural roses are famed for their sweet perfume.
As I tossed them into the garbage, I reflected on Paul’s writing to the Philippian church, cautioning his readers not to pursue selfish ambition in their earthly lives. He cited Jesus’ example. Jesus laid down His right to an exalted heavenly throne to become an ignoble human carpenter in a brutally conquered land, choosing to serve others rather than exalt Himself.
I was relieved to remove the unpleasant odor from my home. I also remembered Paul’s description of us as the pleasing aroma of Christ (2 Corinthians 2:14–15). As I pursue my career, I need to keep that image in my mind. We all do.
How can you spread the aroma of Christ to others?
(Photo courtesy of pixabay and castleguard .)
(For more devotions, visit Christian Devotions.)
Kim Robinson is a former schoolteacher who has taught in rural and central Oregon, Alaska, and with Mercy Ships in Africa. She currently lives in Salem, Oregon, where she is delighted to serve the Lord as a mom, grandma, writer, copy editor, and encourager of others.