God’s Delight in Our Service

4:18 "But I have received everything in full and have an abundance; I am amply supplied, having received from Epaphroditus what you have sent, a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God."

Sometimes we have the picture of God as being stern and cold and severe. Well, He certainly can be severe in His judgment, but verses like this help us to see that He is also a God who rejoices in our faithful service. A good deed done with a sincere heart reaches heaven like a fragrant aroma.

Beloved, we have the capacity to make God’s heart glad! Most of what He sees on the earth displeases Him. We have the ability to give Him a breath of fresh air, a fragrant aroma by worshiping Him and serving Him willingly and cheerfully.

Haven’t we all experienced what it is like to take into our nostrils such a lovely fragrance that suddenly we are completely distracted from what we are doing and drawn to the source of this luscious aroma? Well, this gives us an idea of what it is like for the Lord when He smells from heaven the fragrance of a godly life, or an honorable deed, or a loving spirit.

When we give to others for the sake of the Lord, or when we do anything good and holy and right and loving and true, that rises to the nostrils of God like the pleasing aroma of your favorite food at dinner time.

Of course, the One our Father is REALLY pleased with is His Son:

" You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased. " (Luke 3:22)

"Walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma." (Eph.5:2)

But by the power of the Spirit of Christ at work within us, He can live and act through us, bringing pleasure to His Father through us. Whatever comes out of our lives that is merely of us is surely stinky. But whatever is of Christ is fragrant. Through their generous gift the Philippians gave themselves up for Paul just like Christ gave Himself for us all. And as we, moved by the Spirit of Christ, give ourselves for others, it will be " a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God."

Dear Father, I want my life to be a pleasing aroma to You. I want to please you by my acts, words, thoughts and motives. And yet, Lord, so much of my life is still far from fragrant. Forgive me for the deeds that are fleshly and wicked and idolatrous. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit, that my deeds might rise to heaven like a soothing aroma. Help me care only about pleasing You.