Questions like—Whatcho daddy’s name? Whose child is this? Where you from?—were all parts of the common vernacular of my culture. By culture I’m referring to the collective of my ethnicity (African American), generation (Gen-X), and geographical region (South). Either of these questions were designed to surmise one thing—your primary functional identity. Why is that important? Because your identity doesn’t just establish who you are, it establishes what you are, what you should be capable of, and where you are expected to end up in life. This is important for several reasons but primarily for what I am about to disclose in this article.
During my set aside time that I spend daily with The Father (not even two hours ago as of this posting) I read something that initiated such a level of self-examination it nearly knocked me out of my chair. It’s contained in Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians:
“For we are the sweet fragrance of Christ which ascends to God, discernible both among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; to the latter one an aroma from death to death, a fatal, offensive odor, but to the other an aroma from life to life—a vital fragrance, living and fresh. And who is adequate and sufficiently qualified for these things? For we are not like many, acting like merchants peddling God’s Word shortchanging and adulterating God’s message; but from pure uncompromised motives, as commissioned and sent from God, we speak His message in Christ in the sight of God (2 Corinthians 2:15-17 AMP).
The revelation that God gave me here is this: we should not only look like Jesus to those who are saved & of the Christian community, but also to those who are not. Our aroma should not just be a pleasing fragrance to Believers, but a consistent reminder to the non-believer that something is off in their life. That the path they are currently on, despite how successful it may seem, is actually a pathway to death—hence the phrase ‘from death to death’. Our life and how we choose to live it should be noticeable to all. And it should always resemble the character and goodness of God no matter who’s doing the viewing.
I encourage you today or during your set aside time with The Father to take a moment and exercise the self-examination that only the Holy Ghost can lead you to. Ask God to show you those things within you that in no way resemble and represent Him. And never be afraid to ask yourself that most soul-piercing question—Whatchu Smell Like?
This has been a gentle reminder that we should always be a pleasing fragrance to God and to mankind. Stay blessed by The Best. Bye for now.
The Curious Believer 