Once a month, two wonderful ladies come to clean our apartment. They dust, polish, sweep, scrub, and somehow leave behind a fragrance that makes me so thankful God gave me them!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Freshness. Cleanliness. Sweetness. It feels and smells so good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As I walked through our apartment, enjoying that clean scent, a thought drifted through my mind: What fragrance am I leaving behind wherever I go?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Not my favorite La Vie Est Belle by Lancome. Not air freshener.
I’m talking about what I call \u201cEau de Christ\u201d– the fragrance of Jesus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thanks to Paul the Apostle for these words:
“Thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him. For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ…”
(2 Corinthians 2:14-15)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now that’s a fragrance worth wearing!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Scents are powerful. They awaken memories and stir emotions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I still remember driving past the Wonder Bread factory in Tulsa. The aroma of fresh-baked bread practically grabbed the steering wheel and pulled me into the bakery store.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And don’t even get me started on Smokey Mo’s BBQ. One whiff and I’m suddenly thinking ribs, brisket, and seconds!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A good fragrance draws people in.
And so does a life that smells like Jesus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a world filled with anger, division, worry, and discouragement, people are longing for something different. They are thirsty for hope. Hungry for peace. Searching for genuine love.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When we walk in kindness, offer forgiveness, extend grace, and speak words of life, we leave behind the fragrance of Christ. People may not be able to explain it, but they’ll notice something different. They’ll be drawn to the aroma of God’s love at work in us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ephesians 5:2 says:
“Walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So today, before we leave the house, let’s make sure we’re wearing the very best fragrance available.
A little grace behind the ears.
A splash of kindness.
A generous dose of love.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And don’t be afraid to overapply Jesus.
The world could use more of that fragrance.
God’s richest blessings on you all today, dear friends. \ud83d\udc95\ud83d\udcd6\ud83c\udf37<\/p>\n\n\n\n
#FragranceOfChrist #walkinlove #SweetSmellingAroma<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Once a month, two wonderful ladies come to clean our apartment. They dust, polish, sweep, scrub, and somehow leave behind a fragrance that makes me so thankful God gave me them! Freshness. Cleanliness. Sweetness. It feels and smells so good. As I walked through our apartment, enjoying that clean scent, a thought drifted through my…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":24533,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24532","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n