What Fragrance do You Wear?

We all carry a scent, but is it delightful, or offensive? 2 Corinthians tells us who we should smell like as followers of Jesus…

We, like the disciples, are the sweet perfume of Christ for the world around us. Wearing the scent of Jesus should cause people to pause, and lean in a little closer to us. It should leave a desire for the people near us to want to linger around with us a little while longer. Making them want to sit close for a while and slow down… Simply BE with us. 

When I think of a smell that I like it brings me joy and comfort. When I wear a perfume I want it to be subtle, not overpowering. Some perfumes cause me to have a headache. Others cause me to walk away from someone quickly and avoid being close to them again. 

There are also some fragrances that transfer their smell. Like when you cook strong food, you often will smell it in your hair or on your clothes after you leave the house. 

I imagine the “aroma” of Christ that we carry does all of the same things to those around us. It attracts people or pushes them away, and sometimes it sticks to them. But what kind of fragrance are we? Are we a pleasing fragrance that someone wants to lean in a little closer to, or a pungent smell that causes those around us to run for the hills!? And, are we a fragrance that transfers? 

We know the scent of Jesus, it’s one that draws us close, makes us linger with Him for as long as we can, makes us want to just sit and BE with Him. He is the scent of peace, rest, joy, patience, humility, kindness, loving, kind, accepting… to name a few. And we should wear those same scents. 

We should be the person who people want to be near to because… we are full of peace, a place of rest, full of joy, patient, humble, kind, loving, and accepting… to name a few. 

2 Corinthians tells us we are the good pleasing aroma of Christ, but to get that aroma and keep it smelling pleasant and not stinky, we have to stay connected to the One who has the perfect pleasing scent. Then, it transfers to us. And we can transfer it to those around us. 

I don’t know about you, but I want to keep my aroma pleasant, and I want to be a transferer of His perfect pleasing scent. I also want to be the person my people want to draw near to, and never want to leave…  

• I want to be a wife whose husband wants to be with her.

• I want to be a mom whose kids love being with her, and want to sit with me and hang.

• I want to be a daughter whose mom loves to just sit with her.

• I want to be the woman whose friends want to sit with and know that they are loved, heard, known, and accepted by. 

• I want to be the woman in the church who people draw near to for a safe place to land.

If we all are this woman, there is no reason for those close to us, in the church and outside of the church to want to run away from us. There would be no reason for name-calling and bad-mouthing. There would be less division and strife… More of the sweetness of Jesus.

That is what the “aroma” is all about. Attracting the lost and hurting in, and never giving them a reason to turn away.