What do YOU smell like?

Do you have a certain body wash that you use? How about a certain shampoo? Or maybe a certain lotion, perfume or cologne? Do you wear deodorant? Do you chew gum or take a breath mint to make your breath smell better? We use those certain things, because we are self-conscious about the way that we smell and we don’t want to stink. Most of all, we don’t want other people to smell us and think that we stink.

 

When we think that we stink, we want to do something about it. We want to cover it up with some nice smelling perfume or body spray. When we feel that we stink, we want to take a shower or bath and use some nice body wash and shampoo. There are times when our breath stinks even after we’ve brushed our teeth so we put a breath mint or nice smelling gum in our mouths to freshen it up before we talk to other people. When we’ve sweated some and think that our arm pits stink, we hope that we remembered to put deodorant on, because otherwise we’d smell like nasty corn chips. Who wants to smell like that? Not me.

It’s disappointing and embarrassing to stink.

 

As Christians, it’s important for us to give off a good smell. A good fragrance. But I’m not talking about a bodily smell or a smell from a certain body wash, shampoo, or breath mint.

I’m talking about a SPIRITUAL smell. Our SPIRITUAL aroma is very important.

 

We need to smell like LOVE.

We need to smell like JOY.

We need to smell like PEACE.

We need to smell like PATIENCE.

We need to smell like KINDNESS.

We need to smell like GOODNESS.

We need to smell like FAITHFULNESS.

We need to smell like GENTLENESS.

We need to smell like SELF-CONTROL.

 

You’ve heard before that sometimes we are the only Jesus that some people may see, but you know, we are the only Jesus that some people may SMELL as well.

 

How can you smell like the Spirit?
If we focus on BATHING ourselves in the Spirit and spending time with the Spirit daily, then we will begin to smell like the Spirit.

 

Paul tells us in Corinthians chapter 2 verses 14 through 16:

“But thanks be to God, who made us his captives and leads us along in Christ’s triumphal procession. Now wherever we go he uses us to tell others about the Lord and to spread the Good News like a sweet perfume. Our lives are a fragrance presented by Christ to God. But this fragrance is perceived differently by those being saved and by those perishing. To those who are perishing we are a fearful smell of death and doom. But to those who are being saved we are a life-giving perfume. And who is adequate for such a task as this?”

 

God’s desire is for us to share the Gospel through our fragrance.

By smelling like the Spirit, getting rid of all of those stinky things in our lives, and sharing that good ole Spirit fragrance with those around us, we will be doing what God desires.

Think about those times you’ve smelled a strong perfume on a woman you see every Sunday at church or maybe a family member you don’t see very often. When you do see her, you may hug her or shake her hand. After you’ve hugged her or shook that person’s hand, whether you want it to or not, the smell of that strong perfume lingers on you.

 

Now, let’s use that example for when we share the Gospel. When we share God’s word and live our lives as God desires, filled strongly by the Spirit, whether the people around us like it or not, our attributes will eventually rub off on them. Just like the perfume rubbed off on you when you hugged that specific person.

 

What if our fragrance stinks as a Christian? Could that rub off on other people too?
Absolutely.
And it’s disappointing to God.
Just like when we get disappointed by our bodily stink, I could only imagine that God gets disappointed when we stink Spiritually.

 

We need to watch how we smell and give off the fragrance God has given us: the fragrance of the Spirit, in order to do as God desires.

So what do YOU smell like?












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