There are certain aromas that just grab you and entice you. There's nothing like the smell of someone grilling out. One whiff and our mouths are salivating. We are magnetically drawn to the wafts of that steak sizzling over the charcoal. Wow that smells good. Have you the seen the Taco Bell commercial where the girl puts a burrito in her purse to attract men. Or how about the one where the less than attractive young lady rubs a cashew behind her ears and on her neck and then walks down the street with men following her. Certain scents are powerful.
While some aromas draw us, there are others that repulse us. Rotten eggs, sour milk, skunks or decaying trash certainly can do a number on any olfactory receptor. Instead of being drawn to that scent we cover our nose and look for a way of escape. "That stinks," are words that immediately pour from our lips.
Americans go to great deal of trouble to keep ourselves from emanating repulsive or offensive odors. We shower and bath with perfumed enhanced shampoos, soaps and body washes. We slap on the antiperspirant or deodorant. Then for added effort we apply the perfume, cologne, or aftershave. We put on clothing that has been washed in some sort of fresh scent laundry detergent. One last touch, we brush our teeth and gargle for that minty fresh feel and to ensure that our friends, family and coworkers are blown away by our bad breath.
The Apostle Paul talks about a different aroma in 2 Corinthians that we give off as followers of Christ. According to Paul, the aroma of Christ has a powerful affect on both those who are being saved and those who are perishing. He says to some it is the smell of death. To others it is the fragrance of life.
I have to ask myself the question, when people encounter me, what do they smell. Do they draw in the fragrance of the knowledge and presence of Christ? Or do they smell my humanity, my selfishness, my apathy, my piety, my legalism, my dogmatism, my sectarianism? Unfortunately, I have to answer that question with a qualified, "depends." It depends on the day, my mood, my circumstance. I'm sure that some days people are drawn to the aroma of Christ upon me. And I'm also sure that other days people say to themselves, "He stinks."
Allowing Christ to constantly flow through my pores is a daily challenge. I'm still growing in that area. Too much of me seeps through. Somehow, I don't think I'm alone. My encounter with other believers gives me a sense of why many who are perishing are repulsed by Christianity and/or churches. The odor isn't the fragrance of Christ or the fragrance of life.
God, I'm so inconsistent. Sometimes I really smell. I need to be showered in your cleansing presence. I need you to apply the fresh scent of your spirit upon me and in me. I don't want to look like one of those white washed tombs that may look good on the outside but smells like rotting flesh on the inside. I want people who encounter me to be drawn to the scent of your glory and hope and promise and love. I want to spread the fragrance of the knowledge of Christ throughout my world.
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