A Sweet Smell

But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. 2 Corinthians 2:14-15

Did you know that God could smell? Genesis 8:21 tells us that He has the sense of smell. God specifically designed us to be able to smell for a reason... "If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?" 1 Corinthians 12:17.

Most of us can immediately sit back and think of both smells we have experienced that have been pleasant and those that we'd prefer to never smell again. Let me just name a few...

Comforting/Pleasant Smells
* Dinner in the oven
* Chocolate Chip Cookies in the oven
* Freshly cut grass (unless you have allergies)
* Spring flowers in bloom
* The fresh scent of the ocean
* Your loved one's perfume
* A clean baby out of the tub
* The morning dew or air after a peaceful rain

Could do without Smells

* Trash on a hot summer's day
* Body odor
* Dead animal
* Rotten food
* Refinery/factory burn off/Pollution

I have always found it interesting that God calls us a sweet fragrance. Just like the different smells we can experience, our lives can be both sweet fragrances to God, as well as foul odors. Ecclesiastes 10:1 compares bad smells to folly. Our sins are compared with foul smells in Job 15, "He sees the flaws in the very heavens themselves, so how much less we humans, smelly and foul, who lap up evil like water?"

God wants us to be pleasing smells, which represent Him before the World. In 2 Corinthians we are told that our fragrance as victorious Christians points others directly to Him. Our fragrance when we are walking in Christ is pleasing to God, it reminds Him of Christ. When He smells us - He smells His son. You know what that is like. Perfumes often remind us of others and bring either pleasant experiences or not so pleasant depending on who we are reminded of. That's the same way we are to God... our lives can be both pleasing to God or can be as foul odors. I don't know about you... but I would like to be a pleasing fragrance.

When God gets a whiff at your perfume... what does He smell? Are you wearing Christ? Can others smell Christ through you? Paul himself knew what it was like to receive the sweet smell from others. "I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odor of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God." Philippians 4:18

Let us each daily give to God and others that sweet smell of Christ.


LDJ