Fragrant Living: A Sweet Transformation

By John and Kelly Chesnut

Post date: Aug. 5, 2019

One of the things God laid on our hearts as we prepared to serve in our new roles was a desire to see Wycliffe colleagues, wherever they live or in whatever they do, be known for loving God and loving people.

As a friend suggested, this could be the “fragrance” we’re known by in Wycliffe. It’s why we join together in this great ministry of Bible translation — so others may experience the transforming love of God. It’s why we work so hard and diligently to ensure an accurate, clear and natural translation of Scripture.

As a Bible translation organization, we not only want to see Scripture available in a language and form that meets the needs of communities — we also pray that communities are transformed by God’s Word through the power of the Holy Spirit.

But do we regularly pray that God’s Word would transform us as a community in Wycliffe? Are we asking God to make our lives a Christ-like fragrance, a sweet perfume (2 Corinthians 2:14-15, NLT) of his love to others?

Sometimes it’s hard to share his sweet scent when we’re in a season that casts a shadow over our engagement with God’s love letter.

John reflects: When I was in seminary, I spent each day digging deep into understanding Greek, exegesis, systematic theology, hermeneutics and homiletics. God’s Word became my “textbook.”

Over time I found that while my technical knowledge grew, Scripture lost its sense of “life.” It took several years after seminary before I could read God’s Word as his love letter to his children again.

Kelly shares: Years of in-depth Bible study and Scripture reading have mostly been enjoyable for me. But there have been seasons when studying and reading felt very dry; I went through the motions, completed my homework and checked off my reading plan, but it wasn’t really engaging my heart. I plugged away, holding out hope that it would breathe life into me again.

Maybe you’ve felt this too: a tension between engaging with the Bible on an intellectual or occupational level and engaging with it on a personal, transformative level.

No matter where you are in your own spiritual journey, we encourage you to continue to faithfully engage with Scripture through reading and studying it, while also letting its life-giving power establish itself in your heart and mind. God reminds us that his Word “always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it” (Isaiah 55:11, NLT).

As God’s love and truth become more deeply rooted in us, the fragrance we leave behind will be life-giving to those around us.

Questions for Reflection:

• What is the “fragrance” of your life? What words would your co-workers, family members and/or friends use to describe you?

• How does your life reflect your love for God and people?

• Identify one way you've allowed the love and truth of God's Word to transform your actions and words.

Dive deeper into what it looks like to love God and people in this month’s devotional!

Para leer el devocional en español oprima aquí.