“For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing…” (2 Cor. 2:15)

Our plastic garbage container with a swinging lid doesn’t fit under our sink or in our small kitchen, so we keep it by the wall in our dining area. To minimize the “fragrance”, we put perishable trash into small plastic bags, tie them up when they’re full, and deposit them into the larger-bag-lined garbage container.

This works well until too many full bags pile up in the container, especially those that house chicken bones and other strong essences. That’s when we cast the garbage container headlong into outer darkness (actually, we just put it outside on the back stoop), awaiting trash pick-up day when it goes to the garbage-Gehenna known as the landfill.

Since I have my devo times at our dining table, whatever “fragrance” resides in that garbage container wafts over, easy to notice!

Likewise, the aroma of any fresh flowers in a vase placed on our dining table wafts easily to where I sit.

Which do you think I enjoy and appreciate more? Which would you enjoy more? Which would you describe as the “fragrance of Christ” and which would you not?

Exactly. That’s why I cut the flower stems, refresh the vase water, and add plant food to it regularly to preserve the flowers and their fragrance for as long as possible. Meanwhile the garbage container and its contents get cast out, beyond smell-shot.

Which are we? We are whatever we contain. What do we contain? Whatever we fill ourselves up with.

Everything we fill our minds, bodies, and spirits with has a fragrance. Most of the news media emanates anger, anxiety, fear, and despair. Much of social media emanates pride, escapism, resentment, comparison, jealousy, gossip, hatred, etc. Much of entertainment emanates stuff it’s best not to list.

That doesn’t mean don’t notice the news or engage in relationships on social media or watch/read/listen to anything. It just means be aware of the fragrance it fills us with. Is it life-giving or death-producing? How do we feel and think after we’ve taken it in? Do we instinctively enjoy and appreciate it, or do we want to remove it far from us? Be careful of the “well” we “drink” from. Make sure it’s mind and heart renewing, not polluting.

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” Phil. 4:8

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Rom. 12:2

Then, how do we affect others around us with what we’re full of? If we’re full of ourselves, or bitterness, envy, anxiety, gossip, etc., we’ll stink worse than someone who’s been living in a pigpen without a bath for weeks. Conversely, if we’re full of the fragrance of Christ and fruit of the Spirit, the aroma we spread will delight and give life to those around us!

We can’t pretend or appear our way into emanating his aroma, though. Fake flowers don’t produce fragrance (other than possibly dust gathering on them). We have a few of those—they look nice, but when someone approaches close enough to smell them, they find out those flowers aren’t real. Likewise, we can’t have the fragrance of Christ without being real. When people approach closely, are they going to “smell” nothing, malodorous essence covered by perfume, or the actual fragrance of Christ?

“The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.” 1 Tim. 1:5

You choose. Since I wrote this last week, our garbage container was summarily removed and its contents dispensed with by the faithful trash pickup people. And I’m enjoying the fragrance of freshly cut flowers from our Rose of Sharon, sitting in a vase on our dining room table.