“For
we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being
saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are an aroma that
brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life” (2
Corinthians 2:15-16, NIV).
An
aroma can be defined as “an agreeable odor or fragrance”. A less
known definition is “a pervasive characteristic or quality”.
These verses in 2 Corinthians speak of my life as a Christian, and
how God wishes to use me to live His love. To one who is open to know
the Lord, my aroma is the fragrant odor of His life, but to the one
who is spiritually dying, my aroma is the stench of death. My life
should be so deeply pervaded with His presence and captivated by His
will that everything about me emits an odor of spiritual wholeness in
Him. But I must live my life carefully. The spiritual aroma of Christ
in my life can become dampened by personal attitudes that are
self-focused instead of God-focused.
What
kind of spiritual aroma does my life offer? Do hope, peace, and joy
pervade my life? Do I encourage with the love of Christ or do I offer
the despair of an ugly and negative spirit? Am I so concerned with
never receiving my own promise that my heart is envious of someone
else receiving theirs? Does my life speak His peace and contentment
or is it filled with the misery of self-pity? Do I live my life
joyfully focused on Him or does a bad attitude claim my mind? If
everything is about me, then I become a selfish person instead of the
selfless one that the Lord calls me to be. Self-pity brings feelings
of rejection, and then I isolate myself from others. Bitterness
claims my mind and heart, and I drive others away by erecting a wall
no one can easily climb. I cannot serve the “god” of self-pity,
and also be the aroma of Christ.
If
Jesus Christ is the Lord of my life, then there is no room for
selfishness and bitterness. My life is meant to draw others to Him
instead of pushing them away. I choose everyday whether I allow
myself to be the aroma of Christ—whether I allow Him to live and
love through me. If my heart is truly His—if my mind is focused on
Him—if I seek Him and obediently live for Him, my life will share
His promise of new life instead of sharing the stench of death which
comes from a self-consumed heart. If my life is not about me, I offer
His life. Through a yielded life, He can draw others to Him.
If
I choose Him over all that I feel that I deserve and allow Him to
guide my heart and claim my mind, I become focused on His will
instead of my own. He sets my stony heart free. “For here’s what
I’m going to do” He promises. “I’ll give you a new heart, put
a new spirit in you. I’ll remove the stone heart from your body and
replace it with a heart that’s God-willed, not self-willed. I’ll
put my Spirit in you and make it possible for you to do what I tell
you and live by my commands. You’ll once again live in the land I
gave your ancestors. You’ll be my people! I’ll be your God!”
(Ezekiel 36: 26-28, MSG).
If
I draw close to Him, He will draw close to me. If I choose Him above
all else, He sets my heart free to love with His love. My life will
no longer be consumed with what I want, but with what He wills. If I
am God-willed and not self-willed, I can speak the truth in love, and
my life will back what I speak. I will offer life to one who opens
his heart, but death to another who closes the door. I cannot decide
for anyone else, but I can be the aroma of Christ that tears down
walls and offers redeeming hope. I can live the life of love He calls
me to live. It is my choice to live His aroma.
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