Fragrance

“For to God we are the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. To some we are a scent of death leading to death, but to others, a scent of life leading to life. And who is competent for this?”

The aroma of coffee in the morning is so inviting. It gets our attention, and we go looking for it. To some the aroma of coffee can be nauseating. I guess it depends on what you like or don’t like.

Fragrance. The “fragrance of Christ” we are. Our walk with Him gives off an aroma. Those who know Him and those open to Him find it inviting. Those hostile to Him are repulsed.

Who is up for such a thing? Anyone who thinks he or she can handle this must not be in touch with reality. Or maybe they are inexperienced when it comes to hostility toward Christ. Being the fragrance of Christ in our world is a crushing responsibility. It is a wonderful thought, an affirming thought in the context of the Christian community, of course, but we have not the strength to bear up under the load of being regarded as the scent of death. Being the fragrance of Christ among those who know Him, that we can handle, but being regarded as the scent of death, being viewed as repugnant because of our relationship with Jesus, we are not sufficient for that. Our only option is total dependence on Jesus for His strength. Only He can give us the strength. He is able to make us stand.

Lord, We are who we are in You because of You. We rejoice that we are regarded as the fragrance of Christ, even though that is the scent of death to some. We humble ourselves before You and proclaim our total dependence on You for this task. To You alone we stand or fall. Amen.