How do you smell?

"Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God" (Eph 5:1-2)

As I was strolling through a walled garden yesterday, I was greeted with the wonderful variety of a sweet-smelling hedges and herbs. I then realised that these herbs were being grown to be used by the chefs in the nearby restaurant . 

I took the liberty of crushing some of the  super-fragrant needle-like leaves between my thumb and forefingers, releasing a unique pungent, lavender-like aroma. 

It was only when I put the herb under pressure, by crushing, that it gave off a beautiful fragrance. 

The verse above indicates that the aroma of Christ's life was a sweet fragrance of selfless love and sacrifical service. He truly was the Servant-King. 

Maybe the pressure that you have found yourself going through was so that your life would give off a certain fragrance. 

Maybe it's enough that we learn to smell like Him (Matt 11:27-29). 

Prayer: Lord help us to "walk in the same way in which he walked" (1 John 2:6 ESV). 

But thanks be to God who.. uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of Jesus everywhere" (2 Cor 2:14 NIV)

"God uses us to spread his knowledge everywhere like a sweet-smelling perfume.(2 Cor 2:14 ESV)