What’s That Smell?
I don’t feel like doing this right now! There are a hundred things I would rather be doing, especially since I have just come face to face with my own natural instincts AGAIN! It reminds me of something that happened about a year ago. It seemed that every time I opened the fridge there was an unpleasant odour that lingered faintly in the kitchen. I tried to ignore it, hoping it would just go away, all the while wondering what it could possibly be. Eventually the stench was permeating the whole kitchen, and I tried to avoid opening the refrigerator any more than I absolutely had to. There’s a weight loss plan for you; forget about the broccoli you bought three weeks ago and see how that works for you! It was time to do some serious investigating and yet I stalled. It wasn’t until I walked into the house one day and realized it had moved in and taken over the whole place. ‘This means war!’ I thought as I marched over to the fridge and started pulling food off the shelves.
Some time later, I found it cowering in the back corner hiding behind the romaine. If you have ever forgotten about those little green trees in there for a few weeks you know what I’m talking about!
What I’m really talking about is attitudes and other less than pretty things in my life. Every once in a while I get reminded of some ridiculous habit I have, or a stinky attitude I just displayed. Sometimes thoughts pop up and instead of taking them ‘captive’ as scripture directs me to do as a follower of Christ, I allow them to marinate in my brain for a while. After a while I sense a stench hanging onto me and before long I realize it is following me everywhere and others are noticing!
Just like my fridge, if I let little things like attitudes and wrong habits dictate my day the stench will cling and grow and waft and before long everything about my life is contaminated.
So, what to do? As I mentioned before God’s Word talks about taking every thought captive, chain it up and toss it out! Don’t dwell on it if it’s not a worthy thought. Bad habits can be broken, but only if they are replaced with a positive action to reinforce a good habit. As a child of God I am challenged in His Word to live in the presence of Jesus, and that will bring a sweet fragrance with it according to 2 Corinthians 2:15.
Every once in a while it is a good idea to open myself up to an honest heart-searching and take out those things that are starting to rot and spoil, sift through what needs to go and get rid of it immediately. That awful smell will dissipate and a sweetness will fill the atmosphere as sure as the sun will shine again after the rain!
I think I learned my lesson as far as my refrigerator is concerned. That’s the easier one to learn; now for the rest. It seems it is a lifelong task, and I just pray that I will be as patient with others who are on the same journey as I would like them to be with me.
After all we would rather be smelling the scent of roses on the way to the party!
Some time later, I found it cowering in the back corner hiding behind the romaine. If you have ever forgotten about those little green trees in there for a few weeks you know what I’m talking about!
What I’m really talking about is attitudes and other less than pretty things in my life. Every once in a while I get reminded of some ridiculous habit I have, or a stinky attitude I just displayed. Sometimes thoughts pop up and instead of taking them ‘captive’ as scripture directs me to do as a follower of Christ, I allow them to marinate in my brain for a while. After a while I sense a stench hanging onto me and before long I realize it is following me everywhere and others are noticing!
Just like my fridge, if I let little things like attitudes and wrong habits dictate my day the stench will cling and grow and waft and before long everything about my life is contaminated.
So, what to do? As I mentioned before God’s Word talks about taking every thought captive, chain it up and toss it out! Don’t dwell on it if it’s not a worthy thought. Bad habits can be broken, but only if they are replaced with a positive action to reinforce a good habit. As a child of God I am challenged in His Word to live in the presence of Jesus, and that will bring a sweet fragrance with it according to 2 Corinthians 2:15.
Every once in a while it is a good idea to open myself up to an honest heart-searching and take out those things that are starting to rot and spoil, sift through what needs to go and get rid of it immediately. That awful smell will dissipate and a sweetness will fill the atmosphere as sure as the sun will shine again after the rain!
I think I learned my lesson as far as my refrigerator is concerned. That’s the easier one to learn; now for the rest. It seems it is a lifelong task, and I just pray that I will be as patient with others who are on the same journey as I would like them to be with me.
After all we would rather be smelling the scent of roses on the way to the party!
Comments
Post a Comment