How Do You Smell?
2 Corinthians 2:14-15 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.
I love the smell of our kitchen when my wife Becky’s brownies are fresh out of the oven. I love the smell of my German mother’s Italian spaghetti sauce bubbling on the stove. Smells like that tell me that something good is happening here!
Paul here tells us that we are the fragrance and “aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.” When people meet and smell our kind of Christian witness that is the smell of Jesus to them.
I must be honest…My discipleship doesn’t always smell so good! In fact, there are times I am downright ashamed of how my flawed discipleship must smell to believers and especially to those who are not yet believers. All of us who are about Christ’s mission need to be very clear that the attitudes, love and care that people smell on us (or the lack of them) is what others think Jesus smells like.
I don’t know about you, but I want my life to “spread everywhere the fragrance and knowledge of him.” So, how do you smell today? God wants the fragrance of his mission to spread through you.
Father, thanks for taking away the stink of sin in my life through the blood of Jesus. Make of my life a sweet fragrance that draws unbelievers to you like fresh brownies to a welcoming kitchen. Amen.
Today’s devotion was prepared by Paul Krentz, the extremely resourceful Mission and Ministry Facilitator for the Texas District. Visit Paul’s blogsite by clicking here.