“We are a fragrance of Christ.”  What an amazing thought.  God has scented us as Christians to be a fragrance of Christ in the world around us.  You don’t have to tell anyone you are a Christian, they can “smell” it.  We have an aroma.  It’s the presence of God, of live in us that gives off a scent to everyone we meet.

I have often been with someone who didn’t know I was a Christian and shortly in the visit they will ask, “You’re a Christian, aren’t you?”  They can “smell” us!  But what is it they smell?  What is the fragrance we give off?  It’s the fragrance of life.  It’s a scent that isn’t common on our planet where everything dies.  The only smell we know is the stench of death, but when the perfume of life shows up it’s a smell everyone knows.  It’s a smell that reveals something the world is missing.

For the Christian, as they “smell” the presence of another believer, they smell the sweet fragrance of life.  Another person who has life living in them, the presence of God. It’s a sweet fragrance and a wonderful reminder of the life we share.

For the world, as they “smell” the presence of a Christian, it highlights the reality to them that they don’t have life, they live in death.  It’s a fearful awaking for their senses.  It’s a smell they don’t like, a realization of their lack.  Often it’s the reason those in the world disdain Christians….we remind them of the truth that they do not have life, but simply await the final death.

Without a word the presence of a Christian communicates that life is available, that we have something the world lacks.  Without a word the world “smells” the presence of life in us.  This witness of the fragrance of life calls us to a Godly lifestyle because the world is watching, their noses know who we are, it’s critical we live to the glory of God because we can’t hide who we are.  The world around us, by the fragrance of life that comes from our very presence, knows we are Christians.

Live your life well, your fragrance precedes you…..the world already knows who you are.  Live in a way that glorifies the one who gave you life. Know that the fragrance of life oozes from your very presence and witnesses to the life you have.  Live as a child of life that the world will be drawn to the one who gave us life.  And never forget…..the fragrance of life precedes you as walk through your days.

Visit Mike at Finishing Well.

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where God’s voice whispers through aspens and pines

our hearts will not miss a beat for we know what is at stake

through strife, we will find a blessing for all times.

for years to come we will look back on these days,

and remember God’s beauty, which is ours to find.

As the low clouds shifted and moved to the south

The snowy mountain peak was revealed

ten hours we had been confined

en route to where our true journey would begin.

Our excitement grew in an instant

the pines framed the sight

we paused to take in its beauty

and pondered what the journey would be like

The peak seemed close at hand

as we stood there in awe.

Intoxicated by the view, before we began

the long treacherous climb, to answer our call.

In actuality the mountain was a ways,

our feet would have to carry us a long distance yet

to reach our goal in the coming days

we would not be deterred, in our wilderness dance

Steep grade ahead, in the wilderness great

where God’s voice whispers through aspens and pines

our hearts will not miss a beat for we know what is at stake

through strife, we will find a blessing for all times.

for years to come we will look back on these days,

and remember God’s beauty, which is ours to find.

We had our gear,

our souls were not dead.

we had trained, but were we prepared,

for there was a steep grade ahead.

Our beautiful goal had us in a trance

as we stood our ground and took in the view.

The mountain trail invited us to dance

in hopes that our souls would soon renew

Headwaters start anew, just below the ridge line

Soon we will stand above and take a long hard gaze

and view God’s earth as seen before our time.

Cold, but not alone, atop the ridge are our best days.

In time thereafter, we must descend,

for there is witness and the work of our lives,

families, and responsibilities to which we must attend

But standing atop the mountain ridge, we are revived.

Steep grade ahead, in the wilderness great

where God’s voice whispers through aspens and pines

our hearts will not miss a beat for we know what is at stake

through strife, we will find a blessing for all times.

for years to come we will look back on these days,

and remember God’s beauty, which is ours to find.

By Philip Mack Furlow

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