A Pleasing Aroma

“For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing,” ‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭2‬:‭15‬ ‭ESV‬‬

  • “We are the aroma of Christ to God”, I just want to reflect on this thought for a moment. 
  • An aroma, per a dictionary definition is, “a distinctive, pervasive, and usually pleasant or savory smell”, or “a distinctive quality or atmosphere.”
  • What is a pleasing aroma for you? For me, I love the smell of freshly mown grass (my allergies tell something different 🙂), the smell of coffee in the morning or bacon! When Danny and I were in Glacier National Park, I couldn’t get enough of the sweet smelling perfume in the air from all the wild flowers! And then there’s Gardenias, is there anything more wonderful than the smell of Gardenias?
  • The dictionary definition also says, a “usually pleasant” smell, so what about those things that don’t smell so nice? For instance, the Corpse Flower, I’ve never smelled one, but I read where it smells like rotting flesh! Yuck! As a retired nurse, I have smelled some pretty nasty odors during my career. Clostridium difficile (C-diff); gangrene and others my nose will never forget! 
  • But our verse says we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ! What an awesome thought. But I wonder what that really means? What about us brings God this aroma? Is it something we do, or who we are? Could we relate this pleasing aroma to living life by His Spirit versus by our “fleshy” desires? 
  • After all, Paul teaches in Romans 8:6-7,  “For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot.”
  • ‭Setting the mind on the Spirit brings life and peace. So, perhaps what or how we think ‭is a pleasing aroma to God? Especially if we follow Paul’s guidelines as outlined in Philippians 4:8. 
  • Paul also speaks of how gifts sent by way of Epaphroditus were “a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God.”(Philippians 4:18 ESV)
  • When we do good to others; treat them as we would want to be treated; love as Jesus loved, this too is a pleasing aroma to God! 
  • And, I think, when we grow in the Fruit of the Spirit as listed in Galatians 5:22-23, “…love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control…”, this too is a pleasing aroma of Christ to God! 
  • ‭I suppose it boils down to what type of impression we would like to leave on others? Do you want to smell like a Gardenia or a Corpse Flower to God? 
  • To think that we could leave such a positive impression on someone else by being the only “Jesus” they may ever meet, and be the pleasing aroma of Christ to God at the same time, sounds pretty good to me!

 

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