Stop and Smell the Roses!

Flowers remind me of the grace of God lavished on the world because He allows them to bloom beautifully, whether the one growing them acknowledges His workmanship as their Creator, or not, Matthew 5:45.  I especially love roses because they bloom more than one time during the season. One of the summer tasks that I do is keeping the rose beds clean.  We have squirrels that break apart pine cones and deposit the bits they don’t eat, all around the roses.  Along with that debris, there are pine needles, rocks and weeds that seem to be there on an on-going basis.  The weeds can intertwine themselves around the roses, seemingly overnight, though I’m sure it may only be that I missed the intruders the previous time I worked the beds.  I don’t mind this work, and I can truly say that I enjoy it because the natural beauty of the roses is enhanced by keeping the beds nice.  When the beds are attractive, the roses are beckoning people to stop and enjoy them. Of course, we don’t force people to “stop and smell the roses“, but we are happy when they do.

In the Bible, we learn that there are ways we can live which can show off the beauty of the Good News of the love of Jesus: 

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God— even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved. 1 Corinthians 10:31-33

 Paul reminds us that that the way we conduct ourselves can put the beauty of the Gospel on display.  We, out of love for them, meet people where they are.  We never water down the message of the Bible, but we seek to hold it out in a way that shows off its beauty by not being arrogant or ungracious:

Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. Colossians 4:5-6

 But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. It is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. 1 Peter 3:15-17

One more thought concerning the roses that I so enjoy–what if one of those bushes was developed by someone I loved! If someone who stopped to admire it would comment on its beauty, I would not tell about the hours of work that I put in weeding and trimming it.  What a joy it would be to share that it was a precious gift, given to me out of love!   How much would I love to tell the story of the one who worked to develop it and how thankful I was to have received something so wonderful! I have no such rosebush, but I do have Jesus, the Rose of Sharon, Who chose to set His love on me:

But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior.  Titus 3:4-6

Lord, we can’t save anyone–that work is Yours alone, and the honor and glory is Yours too.  But You have given us the privilege of holding out Your beauty through the way we live our lives.  When people do “stop” and wonder about the One Whose grace which they see displayed through our lives, because of Your work on our behalf, teach us how to present Your love and truth to them.