These verses state how we should live as followers of Christ. It is one that I now repeat on a daily basis, but it wasn’t exactly easy for me to remember this verse. I memorize song lyrics, movie lines, kids’ schedules, grocery lists, but when our Community Group challenged ourselves to memorize this verse, it felt daunting. It felt profound, and I felt the need to recite it perfectly, but I was missing the point. The point isn’t to memorize the verse; the point is for God’s Word to live in our minds and in our hearts, for us to recall verses in our everyday lives so we can cling to the Word of God at any time.
As followers of Jesus, this verse is the foundation on which we stand — walking in love, living our everyday lives as God intended, and being imitators of Him. Imitating God is a daily conviction to walk with the Lord and tangibly use His Word in our lives. It’s a call to be like Christ and hold each other accountable in our walk.
One of my favorite parts of this verse is the use of the adjectives “beloved” and “fragrant.” These words evoke a deeper, more illustrative meaning. God is calling us His beloved; we belong to Him, and He dearly loves us, exactly how we are, how He created us. What an incredible feeling! “Fragrant” immediately reminds me of the beautifully overwhelming aroma of a flower shop — the feeling of the scent hitting every part of you. The “fragrant offering and sacrifice” that redeemed us all signifies His love for us. Jesus loves us so deeply that He made the ultimate sacrifice for us. The love described in these verses is real and palpable.