The myriad wildflowers of the world are wonders of God’s creation. They are photogenic and can be thought-provoking. Why did Jesus tell us to consider them?
The Grand Canyon, Niagara Falls, giant redwood trees—these
majestic wonders of nature are well-known for producing a sense of awe. But does something have to be big to be wondrous?
No. In the past few years, researchers have found that taking time to
appreciate the everyday
beauty of nature can also give life meaning.
Joshua Hicks and Frank Martela, authors of a 2022 study, found
that people who had a strong appreciation for the common instances of beauty in
the world around us were more likely to feel that their own existence was
valuable.
Hicks and Martela gave this advice: “We should slow down, let
life surprise us and embrace the significance in the everyday” (ScientificAmerican.com).
Scientists and psychologists have only recently begun to
understand this. But long ago, Jesus knew that pausing to look at, appreciate
and think about something as small as a wildflower can have a powerful impact
on our lives.
“Consider the lilies” scripture
In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus included the following
instruction for His followers:
“Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither
toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not
arrayed like one of these” (Matthew 6:28-29).
The Grand Canyon, Niagara Falls, giant redwood trees—these
majestic wonders of nature are well-known for producing a sense of awe. But does something have to be big to be wondrous?
No. In the past few years, researchers have found that taking time to
appreciate the everyday
beauty of nature can also give life meaning.
Joshua Hicks and Frank Martela, authors of a 2022 study, found
that people who had a strong appreciation for the common instances of beauty in
the world around us were more likely to feel that their own existence was
valuable.
Hicks and Martela gave this advice: “We should slow down, let
life surprise us and embrace the significance in the everyday” (ScientificAmerican.com).
Scientists and psychologists have only recently begun to
understand this. But long ago, Jesus knew that pausing to look at, appreciate
and think about something as small as a wildflower can have a powerful impact
on our lives.
“Consider the lilies” scripture
In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus included the following
instruction for His followers:
“Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither
toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not
arrayed like one of these” (Matthew 6:28-29).
Flowers “of the field” are wildflowers that grow on their own.
They aren’t intentionally planted or cared for by people. God created them and
set in place the process that allows them to flourish without being tended by
any human gardener. He causes the wildflowers to grow, providing them with the
sunshine and rain or dew that they need.
Jesus said that “even Solomon in all his glory” was not dressed
like one of these everyday beauties (verse 29)!
What was King Solomon’s clothing like? I can only imagine. But
the queen of Sheba, who heard of Solomon’s fame and visited his kingdom, was
impressed just to see what his servants wore (1 Kings 10:4-5).
If his servants’ uniforms were special and attractive, how much
more beautiful would Solomon’s own apparel have been?
But Solomon’s extravagance couldn’t compete with God’s everyday
beauty.
Intricacy and variety
If we pause, closely examine and consider a
wildflower, we will find it very captivating.
We might notice its delicate petals. Petals come in a variety of
shapes: the star-shaped day lily, the bowl-shaped buttercup, the trumpet-shaped
morning glory, the urn-shaped heather, etc. Wildflowers can be divided into 17
groups based just on their shape.
We might also observe a wildflower’s color. Some wildflowers are
bright; others are more muted. And the color can change as the flower ages.
The comparison of Solomon’s clothing to the beauty of the lilies
of the field becomes clearer the closer you look. As G. Campbell Morgan wrote,
“Take the finest fabric that monarch ever wore and submit it to microscopic
examination, and it is sackcloth. Take the lily and submit its garment of
delicate velvet to microscopic examination and investigation, and the more
perfect your lens the more exquisite the weaving of the robe of the lily will
be seen to be” (The Gospel According to Matthew).
And, of course, we might stop and actually smell a flower—taking
note of its fragrance. Different flowers produce different fragrances, of
course. The fragrance is actually a combination of oils produced in the
flower’s petals, designed to attract a particular type of pollinator.
Scientists have identified 1,700 different scent compounds produced by flowers,
and a flower can have many of these compounds. Some flower fragrances are brews
of more than 100 compounds, according to Natalia Dudareva, a biochemist at
Purdue University.
Thriving in hard conditions
I enjoy looking at a solitary wildflower, soldiering on by itself,
but I’m also amazed when a particular variety has become so abundant it covers
a field. Personally, I never tire of seeing the blankets of Texas bluebonnets
(perhaps with some Indian paintbrush thrown in) along highways in the spring.
I’ve found it interesting to learn that wildflowers grow and
even thrive in poor, dry and rocky soil. Unlike
their cultivated cousins, they don’t need good topsoil, compost, fertilizing
and regular watering. They’re perfectly designed for the natural conditions.
The reason for a flower
As we admire these natural beauties, we might also notice how
they’re appreciated by other life-forms. Butterflies, bees and other
pollinators enjoy what wildflowers offer. That’s part of the purpose of
wildflowers. But they also need the pollinators. Without them, many wildflowers
wouldn’t be able to produce the seeds for the next year’s crop.
Wildflowers—like all of God’s creations—have a purpose.
Yes, without a doubt, God beautifully “clothes the grass of the
field” with a variety of wildflowers! They might come and go quickly, Jesus
said, but God still cares for them despite their passing nature.
With that in mind, Jesus rhetorically asked, “Will He not much
more clothe you, O you of little faith?”
Yes, of course, He will!
Seven lessons from lilies
I would guess there are countless aspects of wildflowers that we
could consider—and, as a result, countless lessons that we can learn from the
lilies. Here are seven things I’ve been considering:
- God
provides for us. It only makes sense to start with the lesson
Jesus specifically referred to—that God will care for us even more than He cares
for the flowers of the field. He doesn’t want us to worry. He wants us to
trust Him to take care of us.
- God
is a generous creator. The everyday beauty God has provided
just in wildflowers is superfluous. We certainly don’t need all the beauty God
has given us, but God is an abundant giver. He “is able to do exceedingly
abundantly above all that we ask or think” (Ephesians 3:20).
- God
is an amazing creator. Wildflowers with all their
intricacy and design are only one of the many beautiful and wondrous
things God has made. Like the stars in the sky, they “declare the glory of
God” and show “His handiwork” (Psalm 19:1).
- God
appreciates variety. He created all sorts of
flowers—and the potential for even further variety—different colors,
sizes, etc.—within each basic type. We’re told in 1 Corinthians 12 that
God has intentionally put variety within His Church as well. Members are
given different gifts and different roles and responsibilities.
- God
wants us to grow even in difficult situations. Just as
wildflowers can flourish even in harsh conditions, we can grow through
trials and tribulation (James 1:2-3; Romans 5:3-5).
- God
wants us to serve and give to others. Like the
wildflowers that are visited by bees and other insects, we are to serve
and share with others, and bear fruit—the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians
5:22-23). And just as the wildflowers benefit by sharing their nectar and
pollen with others, so we can be blessed by having a generous, serving
nature (Proverbs 11:25).
- God
wants us to understand that this physical life is temporary and passing.
Wildflowers’ time to blossom is often short. They’re here today and gone
tomorrow. Flowers shrivel, beauty fades. Likewise, our beauty and youthful
vigor fades as we age. But God has more in store for us. He wants us to
develop His character and be His children—part of His family forever! See
“What Is the Real Purpose of Life?” and learn more
about the wonderful future we can have as part of God’s eternal family.
For your consideration
Wherever you live, when “the winter is past” and “the flowers
appear on the earth” (Song of Solomon 2:11-12), take some time to admire the
wonders of the wildflowers.
When you consider the lilies, what lessons will you learn?
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