The Fragrance

2 Corinthians 2:15
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. (NLT)

Most people have a favorite team. Even if their home team did not make the final games like the Super Bowl in football or the World Series in baseball, people pick the one they want to see victorious.

Get a group of fans together that all root for the same team and the atmosphere is charged with excitement for the game. Add a stranger who favors the opposing team and that person cannot understand why everyone else would even think of rooting for a team other than his.

I do not know about you, but I get excited when the name of Jesus is mentioned. I find it hard to understand why others do not feel the same. How can they not?

This scripture explains it well. Those who are walking with God, those who are born again believers in Jesus Christ, have a different fragrance than those who do not know him. When those who are perishing are with us, they do not like the fragrance they find on us. It is strange and perhaps offensive to them.

Like going into a room that smells real bad, they back away and may even want to run. They do not know us and we represent something offensive to them. They get defensive when we try to share the gospel with them. They do not want a new fragrance.

So the next time we run into someone like that, we should be encouraged. It means we have a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God on us. We planted a seed and perhaps that is all we are to do. God will continue to place others in their path as He opens their heart to receive more.