The wisteria was wafting its glorious aroma, as was the clematis montana varieties and the lilacs. There were many smells to detect, from the hawthorn and gorse, the bluebells and the heady mixture from springtime growth in the woods.
And then the distinctive smells from the nearby fields, including evidence of crop spraying and boggy ground and stagnant pools and ditches.
St. Paul makes reference to the different ways our lives may affect those around us, either as a beautiful life-giving aroma or as a messenger of bad news.
Now God uses us to spread the knowledge of Christ everywhere, like a sweet perfume. Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God. But this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved and by those who are perishing. To those who are perishing, we are a dreadful smell of death and doom. But to those who are being saved, we are a life-giving perfume.' (2 Corinthians 2.14-16)
We might be surprised by this stark difference in the reactions that people have towards us and the message that we carry with us. But many of us know the experience of being (deliberately?) misunderstood by those to whom we have been hoping to bring a word of hope and encouragement.
It is wonderful, on the other hand, that the God who made the universe and who sent Jesus into our world can use us to bring life-giving perfume to the people around us, as we increasingly become a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God.
So, which sort of smell are you today?
Best wishes,
Richard
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