What do you smell like?

Heard this today and thought it was SO good. Had to share!



What Do You Smell Like?

What do you smell like right now? That may sound like an inappropriate question, but did you know that the Bible tells us how we should smell.

Our sense of smell is given to us by God, and is in large part for our pleasure, to allow us to enjoy the many beautiful fragrances all around us. How much duller life would be if we couldn't smell!

Have you ever noticed that aromas and fragrances were evidently very important to God? In the law given to Moses, he established sacrifices that were to give a pleasing smell and aroma. He gave the formula for the incense to be burned on his altar, a unique aroma that was never to be used for any other purpose.

There's a very interesting passage in
2 Corinthians 2:14-16 about aromas:

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. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life.


You know, perfumes are distinguishable. You can recognize one from another pretty easily. I wear a certain brand, and quite often someone will identify it. They know the smell; it's distinctive. Well, we note in this passage that those of us who are believers also give off an aroma. God intended for us to be fragrant people, with a distinctive smell that can be identified.

You want to know the name of this Christian perfume? It's The Knowledge of Jesus Christ. When you wear this fragrance, it will be recognized. We are to spread everywhere the fragrance that we know Jesus, that he has impacted our lives and as a result, we're different. That he has top priority in our lives.

Are you spreading this fragrance everywhere you go? "Everywhere" has to include our jobs, our homes, our community, our social engagements. Some Christians like to put on their knowledge of Jesus Christ perfume on Sundays, but prefer not to wear it during the week. Obviously God intended for us to smell like his children all the time.

How well I remember, quite a few years ago now before I was walking with the Lord in obedience, when I was painfully reminded that I didn't smell like a Christian. A co-worker and I were chatting one day, and I mentioned that I went to church. He looked at me and said, "Yeah?" I went on to explain that I always went to church and it was an important part of my life. "Gee, Mary," he said, "that really surprises me. I never knew you were religious."

It was like a convicting dagger to my heart, because what he was saying to me was, "You don't act like I'd expect a real dedicated Christian to act." Of course he was right. I was not spreading everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Jesus Christ. Sadly many Christians are in that same boat.

Things are a little different now, thank God. For years I taught public seminars across the country on business topics, and quite often one of the attenders would approach me cautiously, with a questioning look on his or her face, and say something like, "You're a Christian, aren't you?" They smelled the aroma of Jesus Christ, and recognized it because they wore the same perfume. And we immediately shared our mutual love for the Lord and felt that special closeness because we wore the same perfume, the fragrance of the knowledge of Jesus Christ. It's exciting when that happens.

Do people ever smell the fragrance of the knowledge of Jesus Christ on you? Even the strangers you meet for brief moments should be able to detect from your face and your manner that there's something unusual about you. God's been convicting me that often I lose that wonderful aroma of Jesus Christ when I'm dealing with strangers. I need to take time to spread that good aroma through smiles and kind words, going out of my way a little bit to help someone else.

There are many ways we can spread the fragrance of the knowledge of Jesus Christ, and those of us who go out to a working world everyday have a wonderful opportunity to smell like Jesus because we're there, working closely with people who don't know Jesus personally. Our lives should carry his beautiful aroma to those people we rub shoulders with day in and day out. Ask yourself if you smell like Jesus today.

However, note that the passage says that the aroma of Jesus Christ has different effects on different people. To those who know Christ or are searching to know the truth, it is the aroma of life. But to those who are perishing and who have no desire to live any other way, it is the aroma of death. The fragrance of Jesus Christ will attract some people, and it will repel others.

Now, Paul tells us that God has purposely placed us with this distinctive smell among two kinds of people: those who are being saved and those who are perishing, knowing full well that our aroma would attract one group and repel the other. That shouldn't surprise us because, as we read in this passage, "we are to God the aroma of Christ" among these people. What aroma did Christ have? For some people he was the aroma of life; and for others the aroma of death.

To the man possessed of a legion of demons, bound by chains, naked and mad, Jesus was the aroma of life as he delivered him from his bondage. To Zacchaeus, a notorious sinner sitting in a tree, Jesus smelled like life, and he followed him. To Mary Magdalene, delivered from seven demons, Jesus was the fragrance of life, the first life she'd ever known. To Peter, who left his smelly fishing boat to follow Jesus, he was the sweetest smell in the world.

But the religious leaders found Jesus' aroma quite intolerable. They hated his fragrance. To them it was the smell of death, because Jesus threatened their authority, their influence, their livelihood. He forced them to look inside and see what they were really like—dead men's bones and everything unclean—and they hated his aroma. They wanted to destroy him. It made them most uncomfortable.

I remember a business assignment, which put me for a short period of time in the company of two individuals who were not Christians. That experience sharply reminded me that when we wear the fragrance of the knowledge of Jesus Christ, it will have different effects on different people.

One of these two individuals had a seeking heart. She liked the aroma of Jesus Christ that she sensed in me. She asked me questions, wanted to stay in touch, admired the peace I have. I wrote to her several times, we talked on the phone and met for lunch. I think she is one of those who Paul describes in 2 Corinthians 2:15 as one who is "being saved," that is, one who wants to know truth and will accept it when she hears it.

It was a delight to spend a little time with her. I was excited to get to know her and to realize that God had brought our paths together.

However, the other person with whom I spent a couple of days had a different reaction. She quickly found me a bit intolerable and our time together was not terribly comfortable. I believe that I treated her with kindness and hopefully with gentleness, but if you're wearing the fragrance of the knowledge of Jesus Christ, there's no way you can spend two days with a person and cover up the aroma! It is a strong fragrance; you can't just ignore it. Some of the things I shared with her as to my own experience and beliefs made her most uneasy. I think she was quite glad when our two days together ended.

The first encounter made me feel real good, but I didn't feel good about the second one. Why had she reacted to me that way? What did I do wrong? In rethinking that experience, I couldn't nail myself for anything inappropriate. Finally, I had to realize that for this person, the fragrance of the knowledge of Jesus Christ was the fragrance of death.

If you are wearing the fragrance of the knowledge of Jesus Christ, you will have these opposite reactions from people, depending upon whether they're looking for truth, or whether they prefer to stay in their darkness. So, when you feel rejected by others because of your faith in Jesus, don't assume guilt or take it personally until you check it out with the Lord.

What may be happening—what often happens—is that they just don't like the aroma of Jesus Christ. It makes them uncomfortable because it convicts them inwardly. Therefore, they may react negatively to you, when actually what they're truly reacting to is the fragrance of Jesus Christ which they smell on you.

Now, we have to be very careful that we're not spreading another fragrance and calling it "The Knowledge of Jesus Christ." Sometimes we excuse ourselves by saying that people don't like us because we're Christians, when actually what they're reacting to is another smell, one that isn't Christ-honoring, one that is a result of our self-life and our lack of compassion and love for others.

That's why it's important that we examine carefully the negative responses to our fragrance, and make sure we are not being unnecessarily offensive or combative. The fragrance of The Knowledge of Jesus Christ doesn't pick fights; and it is always kind, even when direct.

How do you wear the fragrance of the knowledge of Jesus Christ? It comes by spending time in his presence and "putting him on" each day, just as you do your perfume. It happens automatically when you get to know him.

How well do you know him? How much time do you spend getting to know him? If that's not a high priority in your life, then the aroma you are spreading is likely not the aroma of Jesus Christ. If we're not in our worlds, smelling like Christians who know Jesus Christ, then we fail those around us who are searching for truth. God has placed us among these people for the purpose of smelling like Christ to them. If we don't do that in our worlds, who will?

And remember, God has a sense of smell, too. What do you smell like to God? His nostrils are totally accurate; you can't fool Him. He sees underneath the words you say and he smells the aroma you give off. Are you a sweet-smelling fragrance to God? Does your life bring honor to his name so that he likes what he smells? If you're wearing the fragrance of the knowledge of Jesus Christ, you can rest assured that he's pleased and satisfied with your aroma.

Well, what do you smell like? It's a good question, and one we should be asking ourselves everyday, before we head out into our worlds. You know, friends, this old world isn't here for long. And we will face God some day to give an account of how we spent our brief time while we're here. Don't let the world shove you into its mold and force you to wear its perfume. Use the opportunities God is giving you today to spread everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Jesus Christ. Those opportunities will never come your way again. Don't blow them.