Wednesday, May 18
Do I smell like Jesus?
Scripture: 2 Samuel 5-6, 2 Corinthians 2
2 Corinthians 2:14–16 But thanks be to God, who always leads us in Christ’s triumphal procession and through us spreads the aroma of the knowledge of him in every place. 15 For to God we are the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. 16 To some we are an aroma of death leading to death, but to others, an aroma of life leading to life. Who is adequate for these things?
Observation
So much to think about in these chapters, but this stood out to me today. We are the fragrance of Christ. Through us God spreads the aroma of the knowledge of Jesus in every place.
Our lives speak. Or to use Paul’s metaphor, our lives smell—specifically, we smell like Jesus. To some, that is a pleasing fragrance; to others, the stench of death—depending on whether they love Jesus or not.
As Paul and the apostles traveled the Roman empire and visited the great cities of Rome, Corinth, Athens and others, “in every place” they spread the aroma of Jesus, the fragrance of Jesus. We are to do the same.
Application
I want to do the same. Wherever I go, whomever I am with, I want to spread the aroma of Jesus.
I just returned from New York City. Did I spread the aroma of Jesus there? Today, here in Spokane, will I spread the aroma of Jesus “in every place?” Does my life smell like Jesus?
We use the sense of smell as a metaphor for good/bad, healthy/unhealthy, true/false. We may say of a business deal, “It doesn’t smell right.” Or we may hear a story and say the same thing: “Something smells fishy.”
Do I smell like Jesus? Am I the real deal?
In NYC, we met with a number of pastors and leaders in the city. They all smelled like Jesus. They were the real deal, genuine, Christ-like. I thought, “I’d love to go to this person’s church.” They were spreading the aroma of Jesus in NYC.
Do I smell like Jesus every place I go?
Prayer: Lord, who is adequate for these things? I need You to fill me with the Holy Spirit, and radiate the aroma of Jesus out of my life. Use me to spread the fragrance of Jesus everywhere!