|
God's Favorite Fragrance
by Gwen Plauche Have you ever really thought about the miracle of smell? How can there possibly be enough variations in perfume smells to produce the hundreds of different brands available? I have a favorite perfume. What I just don't understand is why dear hubby believes that slick salesclerk who swears that some less expensive brand smells just like my brand, but I can tell it is not the same! No imitations accepted! Scripture teaches us about God's favorite fragrance and He doesn't like imitations either. 2 Corinthians 2:14-15 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 the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. Wow - the fragrance of the knowledge of Him - the aroma of Christ - have you ever considered what aroma you are giving off? My Great Grandmother lived in a home full of aromas. She was frequently cooking grape Jello or stewing down some fresh okra. As I sat down on her worn out couch, I would be surrounded with that musty-old-things smell and the ever present mothball smell when she pulled things out of her closet. My favorite aromas from Grandma Craig are somehow captured on the pages of her Bible. Perhaps it is because her Bible was open so much that the smells are still captured in there. It is amazing to me that today, twenty-plus years after her death, I can open that old white KJV Bible, hold it up to my nose, close my eyes and imagine Grandma sitting right next to me. The power of aroma! As a woman today, we need to be alert as to the fragrance we leave behind. Is it one that our loved ones will cherish when they get a whiff of it years after we are gone? So to have the fragrance of the knowledge of Him, what does that smell like? Just like my dear 14 year old son gets a special fragrance after his lacrosse matches, we also get a fragrance from the activities that fill our days. Consider yourself a purveyor of fragrance, ladies, spraying it on all around. The real question is what fragrance have we been filling up with? Ephesians 5:1 says "Be imitators of God as dearly loved children." This is not a "who died and made you king" attitude. Instead, fill your days with love, long-suffering attitudes, merciful and gracious actions. The next verse from Ephesians says to "live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." Many of us just bounce through life, but as aroma bearers of Christ, we must choose purposefully to love. Do you speak love? Do you act love? Think of walking through your house, past your family with the bottle of the aroma of Christ. It is up to you whether they smell it or not. That touch, that time spent together, that hug, that special note, those favorite cookies - it all smells of Christ. The power is released when someone smells the fragrance of Christ. I love, love, love it when Christ has revealed Himself to me, especially during a crisis. I always try to address it as the fragrance of Christ and remind myself that He is on the premises. When you are aware of His aroma that love that passes all understanding but do not see Him, be reassured that He is there. So picture a cute purse atomizer. It's empty until you fill it. Then, it's up to you to spray the world around you. Spray the aroma of Christ - let those around you realize that He is near. Written by Gwen Plauche Blog: www.GwenPlauche.com Copyright 2011, Gwen Plauche. You have permission to reprint I Found My Heart in the Sheetrock Dust in its entirety only provided the copyright notice remains part of the reprint and transmission. All other rights reserved. Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |