Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God. But this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved and by those who are perishing. 2 Corinthians 2:15 NLT
Having once been antique collectors and dealers--and still
loving antiques--my wife and I love the smell of “old.”
But how does old smell? Perhaps only those who deal with old
things can tell. When I open a book published in the 1800’s, I smell old. When
I bought an old oak desk and brought it home, I opened the drawers to the aroma
of “old.”
“Smell this,” I said to my wife.
I remember when I inherited my mother’s first china cabinet.
My wife opened the bottom two cabinets and said, “This smells old.”
Although we like things that smell old, we don’t necessarily
want our home to smell old. And it can’t because it’s not old. My wife has air
fresheners or warmers in almost every room. Various fragrances float through
the air, touching every piece of furniture and clothes. We don’t necessarily
perceive it, but if we leave home and go somewhere else, we notice our clothes
smell like our house.
Paul says our lives are a Christ-like fragrance that ascends
to God. Just as my wife and I have fragrances we adore—old being one of
them—God also does. There are some air fresheners we won’t buy because the
aroma repels us. God has special fragrances He enjoys, too. Not all aromas that
rise to Him will receive a “That smells good” response.
God loves the fragrance of holiness. He is holy, and He
expects the same aroma from His children. While He gives us the fragrance of
righteousness (holiness) when we trust Christ as our Savior, we must put forth
effort and rely on God’s Spirit to emit that fragrance regularly. Holiness
doesn’t happen automatically. We must transfer our position into holiness by
practice.
Only by entirely depending on God’s power and placing
ourselves around those things and people that discharge holiness can we ever
hope to smell good for God. Those emitting the same aroma as us will enjoy a
similar fragrance, but those emitting sinful aromas will most likely not
appreciate our smell. When smelling good for God, we will always face
opposition.
Pay attention daily to what type of fragrance you emit.
Father, remind me of whom I represent so I can release a
fragrance that pleases You and points others to You.
If you enjoyed this devotion, please share it with your friends.
I invite you to try my newest book, Life's Many Moods: A Collection of Poetry, in eBook or paperback. Throughout the years, poets have expressed emotions in various ways through the picturesque method of poetry. Click on the title above to order your copy today. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.
No comments:
Post a Comment