The freshness and fragrance of just-picked herbs make any dish better. A bright bunch of aromatic herbs brings a sense of luxury and life into my kitchen and motivates me to get creative with my cooking—usually. During my pregnancies, however, I experienced hypersensitivity to smells, and fresh basil was repugnant to me. The slightest whiff sent me running for the bathroom.
Strange, isn’t it? One smell can be heavenly to some and putrid to another. In my case, I experienced opposing reactions to the same smell at different stages of my life. Cilantro is another good example. It’s one of those “you-either-love-it-or-you-hate-it” things. I know people who delight in its lemony, peppery essence, while others think it smells (and tastes) like soap and don’t understand how anyone can eat it.
And so it is with the fragrance of Christ—the spiritual scent we emanate as followers of Jesus. The Bible says, “this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved and by those who are perishing. To those who are perishing, we are a dreadful smell of death and doom. But to those who are being saved, we are a life-giving perfume” (2 Corinthians 2:15-16).
This can encourage us when we experience the world’s aversion to our “fragrance” as Christians. Remember Jesus’ words: “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you” (John 15:18–19). John also exhorted us to “not be surprised” when the world hates us (1 John 3:13).
Basil and cilantro can’t help if some detest their smell or flavor. Similarly, we cannot control who we attract or repel with the fragrance of Christ. So, let’s aim to be pleasing aromas to God by saturating our thoughts, words, and deeds in love (Ephesians 5:2).
New on the Blog
This Week’s Worthy Words
THIS PIECE OF LAND | BRIANNA LAMBERT
A truly beautiful piece of writing. “Through these promises, God seeds stalks of hope and redemption in the dirt of our lives. Sometimes we’ll find them in the words of a friend or the care of a church family. We’ll unearth them in the pages of the Scriptures or the hymn on Sunday morning. The small joys of life beside the darkness of our grief remind us that God continues to plant a harvest of sweet amidst the bitter. Each one whispers of the promised land to come.”
GOD MOVES BEHIND THE SCENES | SYLVIA SCHROEDER
“How often I think crisises begin and end with me. But God is vast. He is over all. He looks beyond; ahead and behind, far and close, to generations not even born yet. His purposes even in our smallest trials and sorrows are never just for me. What He does is never that short-sighted.”
HOW QUICKLY WE FORGET | AMY MEDINA
Through her relatable experience with health challenges and her less-relatable experience of living without electricity, Amy reflects on God’s instruction to remember.
SEEK HIS FACE: PRACTICAL SPIRITUALITY | J. A. MEDDERS
A lovely, practical deeper dive into Psalm 27:8—”You have said, ‘Seek my face.’ My heart says to you, ‘Your face, LORD, do I seek.’”
HOW DO I MEDITATE? 10 TIPS FOR CHEWING THE CUD | CINDY MATSON
As the title suggests, this piece is a super-practical guide to meditating on God’s Word. Even if you don’t find all ten tips helpful, you will benefit from at least one or be inspired to create your own.
