“How Do You Smell?”

BIBLE READING:2 Corinthians 2-6

                As I sit in front of my computer writing this devotional, I have noticed that I STINK!  I had been outside doing a few things preparing for Sunday’s lesson and came back in drenched with sweat.  It didn’t take long for me to notice that I may need to swap my brand of deodorant for something a bit stronger.   Our sense of smell seems to be one of the more powerful senses that we possess.  We are very quick to point out something that has a pleasant aroma, such as the smell of apple pie fresh out of the oven.  Yet we are also very quick to point out something that might not smell so pleasant, like that gallon of milk that had spoiled while you were on vacation.  Smells can also remind us of various things.  For instance, that smell in the air when you know it is getting close to football season, or how a brush fire can remind you of the old wooden stove at your grandparents.  God certainly knew what He was doing when he created in us the ability to smell.   In fact, He has even given us an aroma.  In Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians he says, “… through us (God) spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life…” (2 Corinthians 2:14-16).  As Christians, we carry about us the “aroma of Christ”.  I don’t know about you, but for me that places a huge responsibility on us to ensure we are keeping our aroma pleasant.  Essentially, when we were overtaken in sin, we stunk!  Our sin was rotting away at our soul and we stank.  However, when we became Christians, we washed off our sins with the blood of Christ making us a “new creature” (2 Corinthians 5.17).   Nevertheless, even though we try not to, we still sin and are once again in need of having our sins washed with the blood of Jesus.  Physically it is simple; when we get dirty, we stink therefore we must take a bath to make ourselves clean again.  The same is true with us spiritually and our aroma.  If our lives have become tainted with sin causing us to give off an unpleasant aroma of Christ, we must wash to ensure we give off the correct, pleasant odor of Christ.  I guess the question that we need to ask ourselves is how do we smell right now?