I have been wearing the same perfume for the past 25 years, Oscar de la Renta; it’s become known not as my “fragrance” but as my “smell”. Now, I’m not sure that’s a compliment, but I do love the perfume. Over the years I have tried to find other fragrances but I always end up going back to Oscar.
About a month ago, my oldest daughter and I were shopping at our local Sam’s Club and I got a whiff of something wonderful! I wheeled around to locate the woman who might be wearing this heavenly scent, but there were just too many people there. I wanted to find that woman so I could ask her where she got that wonderful smelling fragrance; my love affair with Oscar could have been seriously compromised if I had found her.
2 Corinthians 2:14-16 says, “…wherever we go He uses us to tell others about the Lord and to spread the Good News like a sweet perfume. Our lives are a fragrance presented by Christ to God…to those who are being saved we are a life-giving perfume…”
For those of us who are saved the smell of Christ is all over us; that’s the “sweet savour”, the “sweet aroma” the Bible talks about. I love this picture! If we are covered by the blood of Christ, we will automatically take on His scent and that’s how we’re recognized, as a “sweet fragrance presented by Christ to God”. However, there are some days when we smell better than others, wouldn’t you agree? What about those days when our minds are filled with impure thoughts, when we get caught up in gossip, or make the conscience choice to rebel…how much does that take away from that “sweet aroma”? Or does it?
As women, we know that perfume tends to wear off after a couple of hours, leaving only a hint of the original fragrance behind. We have to continue to reapply it throughout the day; so I believe it is with the fragrance of Christ. I submit to you that we must maintain the connection we have with Christ in order to keep the fragrance smelling as fresh and as sweet as it did in that very moment we received salvation. That word, maintain, carries with it an implication of persistence and an aggressiveness in keeping something in good working order. Because of some of the challenges we may have to face throughout our day, it would be wise for us to stay in a “spirit of prayer” all day long in order to keep that fragrance smelling fresh. I’m suggesting that aggressively/persistently pursuing Christ in all we do would be the picture of reapplying that perfume throughout the day.
“…wherever we go, God uses us to tell others about the Lord and to spread the Good News like a sweet perfume.”
Like it or not, people are watching us “so-called Christians” to see how we are going to respond to conflict, to tragedy, to a challenge, even how we’re going to respond to them personally. So wherever we go, whatever we do, we are to be clothed in the fragrance of Christ. Studied-up, fessed-up, prayed-up, nothing separating us from God. We should welcome people chasing us down to ask where they can get some of the joy and peace they see in us as Christians. What a perfect opportunity to share the Good News of Jesus Christ. When was the last time someone asked you a question that led you to share what God has done for you? Could it be that your fragrance wasn’t strong enough to attract such questions?
“…to those who are being saved, we are a life-giving perfume…”
“…a life-giving perfume…” Wouldn’t you be willing to pay whatever it takes to get some of that?! Some people are willing to travel the globe for life-giving treatments, medicines, etc. I was willing to stalk a woman I didn’t even know just to get the name of her perfume! People are so hungry for love in this country; they are searching and searching yet finding nothing but more heartache because they find themselves constantly being drawn to the wrong things. Can it be that the stench of ungodliness is more alluring than the sweet aroma of godliness? And if that’s true, what does it say about us? Are we hiding our light under a bushel, privately enjoying what God has given us; insulating ourselves from the world because we’re not willing to make the sacrifices and the commitment it requires to touch people? We have the ability to see a life changed with this perfume we hold…what are we saving it for?
I’ve just about given up on ever finding a replacement for Oscar. By now, he’s probably on the list of “old lady perfumes”, and that’s okay because by now – I’m an old lady. It’s also nice to be remembered for a specific scent like when I hear my youngest daughter say to her little ones, “Mmm…you smell like Mimi.” How lovely to think that God says the same, “Mmm…you smell like my Son.”
How are you smellin’ today?
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