The Fragrance Of Life

by HJS

The smell of Old Spice after-shave cologne will always remind me of my father. No matter how many years have passed since Dad went home to the Lord,whenever I smell that fragrance, I will always think of him.

Interestingly enough, when Paul wrote to the Corinthians he alluded to them as a pleasant fragrance, the result of having encountered Jesus Christ. He wrote, "We are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing" (2 Corinthians 2:15). But some Christians bring the stench of death. No wonder Christianity is divisive! Many never get beyond their first perception of what Christianity is all about, having sensed in some Christians less than the fragrance of Jesus Christ.

I am not always proud of the scent that comes from our side. Instead of a fragrance, we emit a stench that brings shame to the cause of Christ and gives the enemies of the Cross grounds for saying, "Aha, see there! They aren't any different from everyone else!" Yes, I know that the believer who has stumbled and fallen is but human, but i also know that the world remembers us not by our most noble, lofty deeds but by our most miserable failure, and by this, we are judged in the eyes of the world.

Your life can cause people to say, "Being in your presence brings the fragrance of heaven!" But if they reject what your life reflects, remember it is Christ - not you - who is rejected. Strive to ensure that your witness is unaffected, sincere, and untainted. Ask God to make your life a sweet fragrance because He has touched you with His nail-scarred hand.

Instead of fragrance, there will be a stench; instead of a sash, a rope; instead of well-dressed hair, baldness; instead of fine clothing, sackcloth; instead of beauty, branding.   Isaiah 3:24