Coffee With The Lord

I’d been outside working in the yard, I finished up what I was doing and stepped through the door into our home.  I walked past Sharon, my wife, and I don’t know what perfume she was wearing, but it was delightful!  I stopped… stepped over near her, breathed deeply, gave her a kiss and said, “Babe, I don’t know what perfume you’re wearing, but you smell SO good!”

Now, I’ve walked past other people… don’t know what they’ve been doing… or failed to do… But it was definitely NOT the same effect!  Know what I mean?

Christians ought to be a pleasing aroma!  They ought to bear the sweet scent of the grace of God and the loving provision of Christ!  Tragedy is, that “Spiritual odor” is not perceived the same by everyone!  This is how Apostle Paul put it…

“God uses us to spread the knowledge of Christ everywhere, like a sweet perfume!  Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God.  But his 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!” (From 2 Corinthians 2:14-16 New Living Translation)

You see, all of us who are followers of Jesus have a responsibility in this regard!  We represent the Lord!  We share His message – His word – the Gospel!  That’s why Apostle Paul in the very next verses said, “You see, we are not like the many hucksters who preach for personal profit.  We preach the word of God with sincerity and with Christ’s authority, knowing that God is watching us.”  (2 Corinthians 2:17 New Living Translation) 

I don’t think Paul was simply thinking about professional preachers when he wrote those words!  He had in mind every Christian and their responsibility to share God’s word with integrity though their lives and words with others.  I tell you, I want to represent Jesus, the Gospel and the message of Scripture with integrity and grace!  I never want to distort it!  “I want to spread the knowledge of Christ everywhere, like a sweet perfume!”