Aroma: Fragrant or Stinky, the Choice is Yours
2 CORINTHIANS 2: 12-17
(August 28)
There are some aromas we enjoy in life, others ... not so much. Some fill us with the feeling of "home", while others fill us with dread.
When I was a little girl, families still went by the 'golden rule' that you ate what you were served for dinner. Your home wasn't Burger King, and you didn't always get it your way. This included the dreaded SAUERKRAUT!!!!
I can remember getting off the bus, walking up to the front porch, and knowing INSTANTLY that dinner was not going to be a pleasant experience for me. WHY? Because I could smell the sauerkraut all the way out on the porch. (And the kitchen was in the back of the house.)
My dad loved the horrible stuff, so my mom fixed it often. And I had no choice but to eat it. But that smell ... YUCK!
I have the exact opposite reaction when I smell Oil of Olay face cream. Don't wear it around me, or you might find me getting really into your personal space trying to get a second whiff.
My sweet Granny wore that face cream every day. And the smell of it reminds me of her, of warmth, of home. It is one of the sweetest smells I know. So that is definitely an aroma I savor. There have been times when I have been walking outside somewhere and caught a scent of it. I just smile and think, "Granny must be walking with me today."
Another precious smell to me is the aroma of wintergreen tobacco. YUCK ... you might say. And I totally understand. But to me, it is the best because it reminds me of the many hours my dad spent on the swing on my front porch, giving me life lessons and telling me the stories of days gone by. I associate the aroma with the man.
Paul called himself and the apostles "the aroma of death to death" and "the aroma of life to life." Why did he use these phrases?
In a Roman triumphal procession, the Roman general would display his treasures and captives amidst a cloud of incense that was burned for the gods. If you were the victor in the situation, that was a sweet aroma for you. If you were a captive, it was the smell of death, because that was where you were headed.
When Christians share the gospel with others, it will be good news to some and something vile to others. As believers, we realize and understand that it is this gospel that gives us life. But the unbelievers find it to be a nasty smell, like death.
Paul also reminds believers that everyone will choose how they perceive that aroma. But we are to continue in our sincere efforts to share the gospel with as many as possible. We have the authority of Christ to do so, and God is watching.
God doesn't miss a thing. He is right there observing all that we do. Sometimes we may feel him nearby. Other times we may not. His aroma is not one of Oil of Olay face cream or wintergreen tobacco. It is far better than either of those things. It is the aroma of love.