The Fragrance of Christ ~ by Lisa

I walked up to my post office box as I always did – hoping for some “good mail”.  That day, I found a simple, unsigned note that said:

2 Corinthians 2:15

“For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing…” YOU SMELL LIKE JESUS, LISA!

I don’t remember exactly what I did next, but I’m pretty sure that a silly smile spread over my face and then I probably looked around, hoping to spot the anonymous sender….

Two amazing things….

First, I can’t figure out WHY anyone would have written that to me.   The time period in which I received the note were days where I felt that I thought of myself more than I thought of others.

The second amazing thing is that I haven’t forgotten that note.

Fragrance is hard to explain to someone, isn’t it?  You can say things like “it has light flowery notes, with a splash of citrus and overtones of verdant breezes”, but there’s nothing like taking a whiff of the real thing. 

The Fragrance of Christ is like no other. It’s hard to explain, but you know it when you smell it.  You can’t put your finger on just why you love it.  It makes you say “that’s awesome!” or maybe it leaves you speechless, just thinking about it. It’s not overpowering, but it holds you in its grip…. 

A few years ago, a Godly woman I barely knew walked up to me, giving just the right bit of counsel; it was such a timely word.  She had just diffused the fragrance of Christ my way.

A dear single friend of mine so beautifully gives out the “Jesus Fragrance.”  Some call it winsomeness, charm, or charisma…but with my friend, I know it’s pure Jesus.

So…..what does the “Fragrance of Christ” smell like? 

I Corinthians 13: 4-7 says:  Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.  Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

When we exhibit these things, we are exuding an aroma that is Christ-like and supernatural.  Unbelievers will know something special is “in the air” when they run into it.  The fragrance encourages, inspires, and exhorts our Christian friends, too.

Philippians 2:3-8 give us another idea of what Christ-likeness smells like:

Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.  Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.  And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

But now, consider this verse in Ecclesiastes 10:1 --

Dead flies make the perfumer's ointment give off a stench; so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.

We also can exude a spiritually “unpleasant odor” if we start walking in the flesh, or neglecting our daily nourishment in the Word.  Before being with a group of people (especially fun-loving sisters in the Lord), I like to stop for a moment, and ask the Lord to control my mouth.   My tongue can sometimes get away from me!  The verse above reminds me that a lovely perfume can go bad when foolishness takes over. 

The next time you get ready for your day, making yourself look and smell nice, consider asking the Lord to make you “smell like Jesus” in a way that points people to Him that day.

Just what does that smell like, you ask?  Well…..it has rich and varied overtones of true, unselfish love….a highly aromatic and clear essence of joy….undertones of peace, coupled with a clean bouquet of humility, graciousness and honor.

It’s hard to describe…. but impossible to ignore.