While I was taking a walk this morning, I observed the things around me declaring God’s glory. The pine needles on the trees, the summer plants, the very green foliage. I wanted to stop and encounter the nature around me. I also thought of the common saying, “Stop and Smell the Roses” (Zverkova). God has given us so many good gifts. Of all the good gifts God has given us, the most excellent and wonderful treasure imaginable is found in our Creator. Jesus Christ is one that is unique from the others – he is given to us , willingly gave himself, and is a gift all in him together share and enjoy – both in common, and with one another as we serve one another and him out of renewed hearts and minds. So, how may we rest and enjoy the gift of Christ in the Christian life, and what are some obstacles to enjoyment? Here are some of my thoughts.

Different things – whether good in themselves, or obstacles such as “the world, the flesh, and the devil” can be viewed as idols and be used as substitutes for real communion with and love for God and others (esv, kjv). We can be blinded by a sight that isn’t of Christ – we need him to open our eyes and sometimes have the correction that Pilgrim, in John Bunyan’s pilgrim’s progress had – Evangelist, a character representing a faithful believer in God, stops pilgrim on the path and puts him back on the right way (Bunyan).

Pilgrim had become distracted by focusing on legal requirements – which are not bad in themselves , but actually, the law is good – however, Pilgrim was looking to these instead of to Christ (Bunyan, kjv, esv). He needed to heed the call, “Come unto me all who are weary, and I will give you rest” (esv, kjv).

And the Lord has promised “Whoever comes to me, I will in no wise cast out” (esv, kjv). This is an old fashioned way to say, “no way!” There is no way Jesus would cast out someone who comes to him, because “no one can come unless the Father draws him”, and Jesus Christ and the Father are one (esv, kjv). Their plan is one, just as they are, and believers are in him “new creations – not because of the works they did in righteousness did Jesus save them”, but because of how good HE is (esv, kjv). He is worth enjoying, both now and forever.

A paradox of the Christian life is that we both fight and rest in Christ. Because of his honor we war and because of his love, “we lift up our banners,” yet we do not fight against flesh and blood (esv, kjv). We fight against powers of evil in the “heavenly places” ultimately, yet as we do so we do not do this in our own strength (esv, kjv). No, we have ceased from ‘work of the law’ and now we redeem the time through the one who bought us with a price (esv, kjv). We can “glorify God in our bodies” (esv, kjv).

As newly made in Christ, we are both “temples of the Holy Spirit” individually and as a community with those who have been “renewed in the spirit of their minds and transferred from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light” (esv, kjv). In Him, we “have redemption, the forgiveness of our sin,” and not only that, but hope that lasts forever and an inheritance with other believers that will never run out (esv, kjv). We share in God’s kingdom and grace now and look forward to what will be in the glorious “ages of eternity”, as we declare the “mysteries of his grace” (esv, kjv).

Meanwhile, we can enjoy the gift that Isaac Watts described:

Inside his house

I’ll find my rest

While others go and come

No more a stranger or a guest

But like a child at home (Watts).

That was not just true in the year Watts wrote, but it is true now, and in forever we will see , if we’re in “Christ Jesus our Lord”, how true it will be then too (esv, kjv). 

~Emily Winslow Cox

Works Cited.

Bunyan, John.

King James Version.

English Standard Version. Good news publishers, Crossway Bibles, 2001.

Watts, Isaac. A Hymn!

Zverkova, Anna. “
What Does it Mean to Take Time to Smell the Roses?” https://www.thesmellofroses.com/posts/what-does-it-mean-to-take-time-to-smell-the-roses, accessed 1 July 2025.

Note: Again, I apologize for publishing before adding citations to in-text quotes. If any inclusion of a Scripture quotation without citation constituted plagiarism (prior to editing), then I confess this fault. I have now added citations to this article. Also, for this article I made multiple copies of my own work for the purpose of editing, and a prior draft could reflected this. Additionally, although I had recalled the “smell the roses” quotation prior to reading this article, I chose to include it as an expression of the quote’s history (Zverkova). As not all of these thoughts were outlined, at least not in this present form, during the walk I took, I changed the title of the article, and I apologize if any dishonesty took place. I specifically remember thinking after the walk referenced, I thought, Jesus is like the “Rose of Sharon” (esv, kjv). Also it is true that he both is excellent and gives new hearts with which we can enjoy and recognize “what is good” (esv, kjv) . And he is the “one who has the name above every other name” (esv, kjv). It is him. We fail and fall short but he is all “faithful [and all] true” (kjv, esv). Because of him, we can worship in “beauty of holiness” (esv, kjv).

Works Cited.

King James Version.

verkova, Anna. “
What Does it Mean to Take Time to Smell the Roses?” https://www.thesmellofroses.com/posts/what-does-it-mean-to-take-time-to-smell-the-roses, accessed 1 July 2025.

English Standard Version. Good news publishers, Crossway Bibles, 2001.