What's your aroma?

I have had an old thought buzzing around in my mind over the past few days so I figured I'd try to put it down in this blog and see if that will clear it up some. Did you know that you have an aroma? Now some of you may have a literal aroma that those sitting next to you can really smell, but that's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about the "smell" of your life and personality that others see and hear. Some of us have very pleasant aromas like flowers, or freshly baked cookies, or a sweet perfume and others have an aroma like a skunk that just sticks to you and you can't get it off.

The point is this, if we are followers of Jesus we may actually have more than one aroma. We may have the aroma of Christ and our own personal aroma as well. We need to agree with John the Baptist and pray that our aroma would decrease and Christ's aroma would increase in our lives. When people see you and hear you and interact with you, are they smelling your aroma, or the aroma of Christ?

Paul said to the believers in Corinth, "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 to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task?" Paul encouraged believers to become the fragrance of Jesus to those around them. That didn't always mean that people would enjoy that aroma. To some you can smell just like that skunk, but let it be because you are carrying the aroma of Christ and not because you really smell like a skunk.

All through the Old Testament offerings and sacrifices were made and God was pleased with the aroma of the offerings. Paul encouraged the believers in Rome to, "offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship." May our living sacrifices of daily dying to ourselves and allowing Jesus to live His life in us and through us be a fragrant aroma, pleasing to the Lord each day.
Blessings,
Shiloh