Have you ever walked outside after a spring thunderstorm and had your whole attitude change as you fill your lungs with the fresh scent of the earth after it has been washed by the rain? Or, perhaps you have come home exhausted from work, and as soon as you open the door, you are delighted to discover someone who loves you has prepared your favorite meal. My friend, God wants to fill us with all His wondrous blessings. He does this for us—not just through nature and His Word—but through each other!
After we are born again, and have received God’s gift of salvation, we are enabled by Him to fill others with a sense of being cherished and valued!
No smell, sweet or stinky, can be ignored. God gives His children the opportunity to be the loveliest and most pleasing scent.
II Corinthians 2 says:
“Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.”
II Corinthians 2:14-15
Isn’t it interesting that the fragrance that is most valued is NOT the “fragrance of Kimberly;” rather, it is the “fragrance of Christ?” I think so many times we put pressure on ourselves to be everything to everyone instead of allowing Christ to just flow through us. WE are NOT the solution. Jesus is!
What does this fragrance of Christ look like in a believer?
A flower’s scent is created within the petals where it’s essential oils are stored. When there is warm weather, the oils combine and evaporate, producing their unique scent. As born again believers, we possess the necessary tools of Christ within us to produce HIS fragrance. When His Spirit flows through us it is like sunlight which warms us and causes Christ to pour out from us. His scent is impossible to replicate. It is also impossible to fake. What does it look like?
The Bible says:
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control…”
Galatians 5:22-23
Just as it is impossible for a flower to produce a lovely scent without essential oil; it is impossible for us to produce the fragrance of Christ if He does not live in us. We must belong to Him by being born again into His family. We also must be consistently rooting out our sin. Sin is a violation of God’s love and it makes us stinky. Sin causes us to produce “the works of the flesh” which include hatred, jealousy, strife, unforgiveness, immorality, idolatry (loving anything more than we love God), dissension, envy, and such similar ugliness. (Galatians 5:19-21)
Ah, my friend, in Christ we are made strong and beautiful. Give Him 100% of your life and you become a welcoming garden diffusing love, joy, peace, kindness and gentleness.
The world needs us to be the fragrance of Christ!
We would love to hear your thoughts about this devotional. Did God speak to you or challenge your daily walk with him? Or is there a topic that you would like Kimberly to cover or expound on? Please share with us in the comments below.
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2 Responses
Praise GOD yes every day I’m allowed to see another day I allow GOD to change me, shaping me to look more like him with Love, peace, kindness, patience, understanding, self control all the fruits of Christ, most of all I thank Jesus for dying for my sins and the sins of the World, again Praise GOD🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾
Amen sister! Share it!!!