How do you smell?
Are you the sort of person who wears perfume or aftershave?
Do people smell you coming in a good or bad way?
As Christians there is another aroma that should surrounds us; not easily detected but always responded to.
“In the Messiah, in Christ, God leads us from place to place in one perpetual victory parade. Through us, he brings knowledge of Christ. Everywhere we go, people breathe in the exquisite fragrance. Because of Christ, we give off a sweet scent rising to God, which is recognized by those on the way of salvation—an aroma redolent with life. But those on the way to destruction treat us more like the stench from a rotting corpse.
“This is a terrific responsibility. Is anyone competent to take it on? No— but at least we don't take God's Word, water it down, and then take it to the streets to sell it cheap.” (2 Cor 2:14-17 MSG)
I work in an open plan office and so I have to walk through a room full of desks before I reach mine. Aside from the odd personal photograph they all look the same, but there is no mistaking it when I pass the desk of one particular woman; the fragrance cannot be ignored. I have no idea whether the smell emanates from her or the desk but, depending on my mood, it is either intensely pleasing or annoying.
This past week however she has not been in the office (on leave or something, I guess) but the aroma has remained; it is as though she was still there! [How much perfume does she use!!!!]
The NIV says that we are the “aroma of Christ” but is our aroma as powerful as the perfume the lady in my office wears? Have we watered it down, or only put it on once a week?
Our fragrance – well not ours, but Christ in us – should linger beautifully. Up until the end of last year I used to work with a lady… well, she was one of the two members of staff that I ‘managed’. Anyway, we used to discuss stuff now and again and although it did not directly relate to my faith this would come out naturally in conversation. Last night, after six months of not working with her, she phoned me up at home and asked if I could go with her down to the intensive care unit to pray for her brother! This is not something normal; she was not interested in me, she was interested only in what God could do!!! This only happens because the aroma of Christ had lingered in her life for the past six months, and now in desperate need of life, she breathed it in.
We are here to smell, but the fragrance we leave is up to us; we cannot afford to water down the aroma of Christ in our ordinary lives.
Do people smell you coming in a good or bad way?
As Christians there is another aroma that should surrounds us; not easily detected but always responded to.
“In the Messiah, in Christ, God leads us from place to place in one perpetual victory parade. Through us, he brings knowledge of Christ. Everywhere we go, people breathe in the exquisite fragrance. Because of Christ, we give off a sweet scent rising to God, which is recognized by those on the way of salvation—an aroma redolent with life. But those on the way to destruction treat us more like the stench from a rotting corpse.
“This is a terrific responsibility. Is anyone competent to take it on? No— but at least we don't take God's Word, water it down, and then take it to the streets to sell it cheap.” (2 Cor 2:14-17 MSG)
I work in an open plan office and so I have to walk through a room full of desks before I reach mine. Aside from the odd personal photograph they all look the same, but there is no mistaking it when I pass the desk of one particular woman; the fragrance cannot be ignored. I have no idea whether the smell emanates from her or the desk but, depending on my mood, it is either intensely pleasing or annoying.This past week however she has not been in the office (on leave or something, I guess) but the aroma has remained; it is as though she was still there! [How much perfume does she use!!!!]
The NIV says that we are the “aroma of Christ” but is our aroma as powerful as the perfume the lady in my office wears? Have we watered it down, or only put it on once a week?
Our fragrance – well not ours, but Christ in us – should linger beautifully. Up until the end of last year I used to work with a lady… well, she was one of the two members of staff that I ‘managed’. Anyway, we used to discuss stuff now and again and although it did not directly relate to my faith this would come out naturally in conversation. Last night, after six months of not working with her, she phoned me up at home and asked if I could go with her down to the intensive care unit to pray for her brother! This is not something normal; she was not interested in me, she was interested only in what God could do!!! This only happens because the aroma of Christ had lingered in her life for the past six months, and now in desperate need of life, she breathed it in.
We are here to smell, but the fragrance we leave is up to us; we cannot afford to water down the aroma of Christ in our ordinary lives.
-Andrew Carey
posted by Andrew at 9:22 am
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