Stench or Fragrance?

by Dave White

Sunday, January 3rd, 2010 | Devotionals

Dave White

“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 2:15-16

A couple weeks ago, I had a couple of days in a row where I did not eat or sleep very well. I noticed something. As a result of my malnourishment and sleep deprivation, I smelled funny. Not just funny, I smelled bad. In the same way, when our spiritual lives are malnourished and deprived of communion with God, we give off a spiritual stench.

You’ve seen this. You’ve met people that just stink. It might be a funny feeling or a strange look in their eyes or just some vibe you get off of them, but some people just stink. Also, if I may be so bold, there have been times in your life when you have not smelled so sweet yourself. The root cause of their stinkiness or yours is a lack of communion with God. When we cut ourselves off from the Giver of life, we smell more and more like death.

On the other hand, when we are connected to our Father through Jesus Christ, our lives give off a fragrance. Communion with God -through Scripture, prayer, or some other form of worship- plugs us in to the sweetest life and beauty. You smell beautiful when you are in right relationship with God.

Even so, as the Scripture above declares, we who are filled with the fragrance of life in Jesus smell like death to those who are perishing. We smell bad to non-Christians. We will be mocked and ridiculed for following Christ, but we are not seeking to please the world. We are living our lives for God.

So, deliberately live your life in such a way as to please Christ. Let your life be a fragrant offering to Him. Give your life for His glory.