Spring Blooms
2 Corinthians 2:14 (NKJV) 14 Now thanks be to God who
always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us
diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.
Earlier this spring a group from our church was going to
meet at the church to go somewhere. It was one of the first
beautiful, sunny, warm spring day so we waited outside for
everyone to get there. All of a sudden there cam an odor
that smelled like someone had dumped some kitchen oil or
grease in the yard that had turned rancid. Come to find out
it was the aroma coming from the blooms on the Bradford Pear
tree. These are trees that have a beautiful natural shape
and are one of the first trees to bloom. The blooms look
great but then you get a whiff of the aroma and it turns you
off immediately.
A few weeks later it was Easter Sunday. The blooms were
about all gone from the Bradford Pears but the church had
ordered a number of Easter lilies which some people had
placed around the sanctuary. When you entered it that Easter
Sunday morning the aroma was heavenly. Our minister said
everyone ought to go outside and then come back in again to
enjoy the aroma again.
WE who call ourselves Christians may look like a beautiful
bloom. Others may know we go to church. We may tell others
we are a Christian or that we go to church. We might carry a
Bible around or have a Christian bumper sticker on our car.
These things make us look like a bloom but what aroma are we
giving off to those who really know us?
I know that no one is perfect and that we all sin from time
to time but if we show the fruit of the spirit which is
love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness and self control. We will diffuse a
sweet aroma like that of the Easter lilies which may draw
people to Jesus Christ.
What if those around you continually hear you using bad
language or telling dirty jokes? What if people see you
continually doing personal work on the employer's time? What
if you get your employees to do your personal work during
your employer's time? What if people see you fly off the
handle often or do many other things that are not part of
the fruit of the spirit? These people may see you at first
like a pretty bloom but when they see you doing these types
of things they smell the aroma of a Bradford pear. If they
are not Christians then they might think that there is no
difference so why should they want to become a Christian?
The apostle Paul wrote:
1 Thessalonians 5:22 (NKJV) 22 Abstain from every form of
evil.
That is what we need to do to draw others to Jesus Christ.
WE each need to be more like Easter lilies and less like
Bradford pear blooms.
By Dean W. Masters
homefurn@preferred.com