By Chris WittsSaturday 27 Aug 2022Morning Devotions with Chris WittsFaithReading Time: 1 minute
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Transcript:
I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase “you need to stop and smell the roses”. Roses are beautiful plants when in full bloom with rich colour and perfume. But I think this statement is an appeal to stop and slow down. Because life can sometimes be overwhelming and steal our joy, and when we stop and do the little things, everything can get back into perspective.
Things like family, friends, hobbies, exercise, taking time to relax and appreciate life. It does matter, because life is too short, and stress can become such an issue that your doctor says “you must stop or else..”. And your response doesn’t help ..”I’ve got too many things to do to slow down.” It was Mahatma Gandhi who said “there is more to life than increasing its speed”. And he was right. Some years ago outside Auckland in New Zealand, the local council made beds of beautiful wild flowers in the median strip which divided a small section of the 4 lane highway. And they noticed when motorists passed this section, they tended to slow down to admire the beauty around them. Flowers literally became the way to help drivers slow down and live.
Appreciating the Little Things
I want to say it’s really important to appreciate what you already have in life. It’s a simple statement, but in an age when the current thinking is “faster is better”, we need to hear it again and again. One poll I read said that 60% of the population is always in a rush… Renewing our body, mind and soul is an investment. Our body is not designed to operate without proper rest. Waiting is a good thing, for God’s Word the Bible says in Isaiah 40:31 “Those who wait on the Lord will find new strength, they will be strong like eagles, soaring upwards on wings; they will walk and run without getting tired”.
As always, the Bible makes sense. One author I read said that when hurry becomes a chronic condition, when we run even when there is no reason to, when we rush while performing even the most mundane tasks, it may be said that we have become addicted to hurry (Kirk Byron Jones- author). In other words, we don’t have a pause button to stop and reflect..to smell the roses.
That’s why prayer with God is so valuable… taking time each day to talk to and be with Him. Thomas Keating, a Catholic teacher on prayer once said “It only takes a moment for God to enrich you”. And He comes to you wherever you are. It doesn’t have to be in a church – it can be anywhere you are.
God is the One from whom all our blessings come – “Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights” (James 1)
If your life feels complicated, if it feels stressed, or out of control then make a choice to examine your life in detail and take it to its simplest form. Count your blessings, and enjoy the life He has given you.
– Find beauty, value, and worth all around you
– Do a good job at whatever you do
– Don’t try to be more or less than God’s design for you
– Love your family with all you are not all you can buy them
– Keep an eternal focus. There is more to life than just our earthly existence. Think about eternity.
Life in the making is what our days are about. Don’t stop making plans and goals. Don’t give up dreaming and thinking of what could be. These are important and give direction and depth to our futures but while you are dreaming and planning find Jesus Christ in the mundane stuff of life.. Look with Him at the roses you pass.
We have to, no matter how busy our schedules might be, take time to smell the roses in our life. Whether it is a simple walk or a beautiful sunrise or sunset, we cannot go on at the pace of life which finds us missing some of the glories of God’s creation.
Let us Pray
Lord, sometimes we are so busy with our own lives we forget that our friends may need a call, or maybe they are not having such a good day and could use a smile, or a few words of encouragement. Help us Lord, to stop and just think for a while. Let us find that quiet place in our hearts to ask you to keep an eye on our friends, our family and anyone that stretches out their hand for help. Father, please help me to open my heart and my eyes to being more thoughtful and more loving. I ask that the angels shine their light upon us to guide us and to show us the signs when our friends need a kind word… when one of our family members needs some time with us but are afraid to ask because they know we may be too busy, or that they think we just have no time. Teach us Lord to slow down and smell the roses and to never forget a little sunshine goes a very long way. A little love can change a person’s life, Amen.