What’s That Smell?

To the one we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life. 2Corinthians 2:16

Last break!  The shift was almost over. Then the unthinkable happened, this man appeared out of nowhere wanting to know where the flashlights were kept.  As we were on our way to the flashlights, I noticed that this man had a very strong odor.  I thought perhaps I could get in front of him so that the smell would not be as strong.   That, however, was not to be either since; he insisted on keeping pace and walking right beside me. By the time we got to where the flashlights were; I was practically running just to keep ahead of him.  I showed him the flashlights and made a hasty exit.  If you’re like me, you shower and even put on perfume or cologne so that you will not stink.  We are concerned that the smell coming from our body is not offensive to others.  As I write this, I wonder if we are as concerned with our spiritual aroma as we are our physical aroma.  As certainly as we all have a body odor some good and others bad we also all have a spiritual odor.  We can be a pleasing aroma of life and make others smile as they come near us, or we can be a stench like infection and death so that others as they come around us want to make a hasty exit.  The fact is we don’t have a choice about giving off an odor physically or spiritually; we will emit a smell whether we like it or not.  What kind of aroma we produce that is definitely our choice.  By the way, what kind of aroma are you creating is it a bouquet or a stink?  Perhaps an even better question is; what do we small like to God our creator? Do we smell like perfume or a stink to him? I’m going to choose to be a bouquet of life. I want God and others to be pleased with my physical and spiritual smell.