The Fragrance of Christ

I smell FABULOUS! Even if I do say so myself. Sorry guys ~ girl talk. I was given a gracious gift certificate to one of those good smelly places, lined with rows of bath gels, body oils and room air fresheners, (fortunately I knew NOT to spray THAT on). I played in the bath gels for awhile, and then moved onto the body oils. LOVE the oils! My personal favorite right now is Lavender. I have grown to love the color, the smell, it is fresh and so feminine. That is what came home with me. So, I smell like a field of lavender. I do however, pray I don’t attract bees in my good-smelly-ness.

We are highly sensitive to smell. One of the five senses that strike us with great impact, also one of the most offensive or pleasant. Not only do we smell good, but we can purchase candles, incense, sprays, even night light plug-ins to bathe our homes with fragrance while we sleep.

There is a fragrance however that can not be rubbed on, sprayed or be splashed, but comes from …within. It is the beauty of Christ in our lives, it can and will attract others, perhaps, forgoing the bees ~ smile.

“But thanks be to God! For through what Christ has done, He has triumphed over us so that now wherever we go He uses us to tell others about the Lord and to spread the Gospel like a sweet perfume. As far as God is concerned there is a sweet, wholesome fragrance in our lives. It is the fragrance of Christ within us, an aroma to both the saved and the unsaved all around us.” (2 Cor. 2:14-15, The Living Bible)

In the Tabernacle of Moses, the incense was a prescribed  fragrance. Not just any old aroma, but a specific pleasant odor. Certain ingredients were needed, a certain blend. God knew if the mixture was not just right, the out come would be STINKY. Same with our lives, it takes just the right mixture for a pleasant aroma, mixture of the life, love and qualities of Christ. If not, sorry folks, it is just plain old stinky … US (metaphorically speaking of course). Been around a few stinky folks?

Another place where fragrance was a HUGE issue, John chapter 11. Jesus comes to the tomb of Lazarus, telling them to remove the stone, while Martha politely reminds Jesus, that … well after 4 days “…he stinketh.” A big concern for sure. The stone is rolled away and Jesus prays, it was NOT the smell of death that came out. Adding Jesus to the circumstance and LIFE is the result.

Allowing others to see, hear, touch, taste and smell Jesus in our lives is what we are called to. Remember when Mary poured the perfume on Jesus’ feet, in John 12? She didn’t just dab here or there, she POURED enough to cause the house to be filled with the fragrance! Her worship was known, seen and a pleasant aroma. May we too pour it out thick, overflowing, regardless of the cost … loving HIM.

Bathe yourself with and in the qualities of Jesus, and smell wonderful for Him. As we walk in the prescribed fragrance of God, adding Jesus to the mix, others will smell Him. In doing so, as we too pray with His power, and authority, stones will be moved away and others will come out not stinking, but ALIVE!

The fragrance of Christ.

In Him, DeDe (Ps. 92:4 “You thrill me, LORD .”)