The sweetest smell

"Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God. But this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved and by those who are perishing." 2 Corinthians 2:15 NLT

Oh the smells of fall! I don't know about you but the fragrances of this season conjure up so many memories, like warming myself by the fire before the Dogwood Canyon trail run, the crisp air around me as I ran through the night of a hundred-mile race in Carthage and standing at the starting line of countless early morning races. And it seems I'm not the only one who loves the "smell of running" and the feelings and memories those aromas evoke. Katie Arnold, an ultrarunner and author of the new memoir Running Home said, "These scents, acrid and sweet, create an amalgamated “smell of running” that, while unique for every athlete, is surprisingly universal from the gear, events, and trails we share. We recognize the smell of running like a second nature... But I wonder if we could describe it to an outsider." 

And you know, it's true. Runners indeed associate smells with races or running experiences they have had, something that an outsider, or non-runner, might indeed not understand nor find pleasing to their nostrils. Incidentally, there's another fragrance that "is perceived differently” by different people as well. And that's the aroma of a Christian's life. You see, when believers like you and me share the Good News, it is a life-saving fragrance and the sweet smell of victory to those who accept Christ but for those who reject Him it is the repulsive odor of death and defeat. 

So knowing that many people we witness to will find the aroma of the Message disgusting and maybe even revolting, let us be prepared to share it anyway, anytime we have a chance. After all, if even one person finds the Good News to be the sweetest smell they have ever inhaled, it will have been well worth the time and effort. 

Heavenly Father, thank You for the timely reminder that those who find the Gospel nauseating aren't rejecting us but rejecting You. Make us bold witnesses to the Truth Lord and willing to experience that rejection so that even one person might share in the aroma that every believer knows is the sweetest smell in the world. It truly is so sweet to trust in You. It's in your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen. 

Happy Running!!!

Tis so Sweet - Casting Crowns