August 28

2 Corinthians 2:12-17

Are you smelly? No, I am not talking about needing to take a shower, but rather our need to smell like Jesus. When people get a whiff of us are they repulsed, or do they smell the fragrance of Christ. Paul stated that during his travels, he was used by God to "spread the aroma of the knowledge of him (Jesus) everywhere" (2 Cor. 2:14). Wherever Paul went, people could smell Jesus on him. For some this smell was sweet and beautiful as they responded to Jesus as Lord and Savior, but to others it smelled like death. How could the same smell seem so different?

I do not like cheese, so the smell of cheese is disgusting to me. Yet to most people, and probably to you, the smell of cheese is delightful. To those who love cheese, it is a wonderful smell, and to those with a more refined sense of smell, like me, it is gross. The same is true with Jesus. When we love him, we will love the smell of him, but for those who reject him it is a smell of judgment, punishment, and death. So let us choose to smell like Jesus no matter the response of others. Let us be smelly!

Father God, use me to make Christ known wherever I go. Help me to live like Jesus and be the aroma of him to the world. Amen. 

Question: What can you do to make the smell of Christ more evident on your life?