who enjoys stinky perfume?

Better to have wisdom than weapons of war,
    but one sinner can destroy much that is good.

As dead flies cause even a bottle of perfume to stink,
    so a little foolishness spoils great wisdom and honor.

Ecclesiastes 9:18-10:1

[photo credit]

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I own perfumes, lotions, candles, incense, oils, air freshener, and even scented pens. I purchase cleaning products based first on their effectiveness and secondly, on their scent. When I get fragrance samples in the mail, I cut the strips and put them in my Bible, books and drawers. Baking and cooking create such delicious smells that it can almost be hypnotizing. I am an aroma fanatic. And because I am, I can easily go from one extreme to the other, from heart shaped pupils to the transfiguration of deadly X over each one. Let's face it, a wide range of scented items can be easily labeled, "the stench of death!" And we cannot overlook the unforgiving smell of anything spoiled; food, bin of garbage, perfume or a sweat-saturated shoe.

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Scents do matter. 

Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.  2 Corinthians 2:14-15

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Did you catch that? Christ diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge through us. Other words for diffuse are: radiate, scatter, sprinkle, deposit, bestow, and disperse. Replace the word diffuses, with these words. Christ _________ the fragrance of His knowledge through ME. 

This is a great responsibility, because if a little foolishness spoils great wisdom and honor, then it is the knowledge of Christ that is spoiled before a watching world. A little of one thing can spoil a lot of good.

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A few years ago, I received a birthday card from a lady at church who I rarely interacted with. She wrote, "Raquel, you are the fragrance of Christ. When you leave my presence, the fragrance of Christ remains." I have not forgotten that. God showed me that I am filled with the fragrance of Christ when I spend time in His presence, when I apply His word to my life and love His people. It is my daily prayer, that I may be the fragrance of Christ to those around me... not a Pepe Le'Pew who repels people. Let's be real, who enjoys stinky perfume? No one.

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Challenge. Discern whether your actions/words are foolish or wise. Let's be a people who purpose to be the fragrance of Christ by forsaking foolishness.