We Are the Fragrance of Christ

There was a trellis of honeysuckle by the front door of my childhood home. Over the years its sweet fragrance came to represent the safety and unconditional love I knew waited for me when I crossed over the threshold. Conversely, to this day the odor of coconut and brown sugar remind me of a box book report gone bad in fifth grade. Both were tied to personal experiences that left a lasting impression.

14 But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. 15 For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, 16 to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things? 17 For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God's word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ.

By definition a fragrance is pleasing while an odor is distasteful. As children of God, we are “the aroma of Christ” spreading the “fragrance of Him” to the people around us. The question we must each ask ourselves is what kind of lasting impression do we make in our daily interactions? Do our words and deeds point others to God? Unfortunately, left to our own devices, we would more often be like brown sugar and coconut. It is only through the power of the Holy Spirit that we are able to live our lives as a fragrant offering that points others to Christ.