The Aroma of Christ

A looming deadline, an orderly environment, the expectations of others... these are a few of the things that distract me daily.

Earlier this week, I was working on a project with an imposing deadline. The taskmaster in me took over, working quickly and methodically to pull all the necessary pieces together. The burden of the details made me ever-cognizant of all that had to be accomplished in a short period of time. I needed to get all these pieces coordinated, so I could move on to other important work. My days were full and time flew as I checked numerous items off my to-do list.

One day, I heard frustration and doubt in the voice of a partner in this project. "It'll never happen. They want what?" He didn't have the same vision I had for completion. He didn't like the pressure of the pace. (And in his other comments, he didn't even treat me with the golden rule.) His glum resistance felt like an obstacle to reaching our goal, seeing results that were already clearly in view in my mind.

Needing his participation, I was forced to slow down and take time to answer more questions, to share my vision, to encourage and provide flexibility in the way he could support this project, while still meeting our deadline.

Duh. Then I suddenly saw this as the important work, in the whole scheme of things, not the end results! If I could remain calm and respectful -- in spite of the way he treated me -- I could be the aroma of Christ in his life.

Each day God calls me to this, and many times I know I miss that opportunity, because my focus is on getting things done... Things others want, need, expect and demand of me. These things are important, too, of course. But I must not miss out on the most important things -- the opportunity for deeper relationships, the eye contact, the soul contact!

It seems this same lesson is repeated again and again for me, in different scenarios, with a variety of distractions and challenges. It's all part of the process God is using to refine me. And His refining I certainly need.

Thank you, Lord, for your patience with me. It's amazing you would trust me at all to be used in your service. I'm so human and I so quickly revert to my human agenda rather than your Godly agenda. Shape me in your image so that I may be that much more useful to you.

2 Cor. 2:14: But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere.

Please pass this on to others who may like this message.


Challenge: How can I be the aroma of Christ to those around me today?

A Human Doing

It had been a particularly productive day and I was pleased with all the work I had accomplished. I got to cross so many items off my list, and completed some things that weren’t even on it.

My dear husband told me to sit next to him and take a break. "You are a human being, Love, not a human doing," he said.

I thought of one item that got carried over each time I made a new list. It was a project begun with several others who didn't give it much urgency at all. I had tried every way I knew to motivate them to act, but no one else made it the priority that I wanted to make it.

Reluctantly, I continued with the work, as best I could, without the help of the others. I felt driven to complete what had been started... even if it meant doing it alone.

Eventually, I was able to sit back and reflect on what I had painstakingly accomplished. It felt good, but I missed the satisfaction teamwork would have brought.

I imagined God saying to me, "(Martha, Martha), you are worried and upset about many things (Luke 10:41) . It's good what you have accomplished... But the emphasis isn't really on doing. It's not about productivity...

How did you treat the people you viewed as obstacles?"

Oh, Lord, forgive the taskmaster in me! I am concerned about many things -- and I do not eat the bread of idleness (Prov. 31:27 NIV), but let me never forget how important the people are! Please help me to model your great love and patience throughout all my interactions with others. Help me to more often make the choice that Mary did.