Avon

Well, I must report that our afternoon walk yesterday went without a hitch!  I was all prepared for any squirrel sightings but alas, there were none to be seen as we walked around our little community.  Our oldest daughter had called from North Carolina earlier in the day and we ended up talking for almost three hours!  Therefore by the time we got out to take our afternoon walk it was close to five in the afternoon.  Maybe the squirrels were home preparing their dinners…

And speaking of dinners… as we were out and about at the later hour of the day, we did pass by many homes where you could easily detect the aroma of people’s barbeques as they were most likely cooking their evening meals.  There was a very pleasant fragrance in the air that brought back memories of starting the fire for supper while camping in the midst of a Redwood or Pine forest.  It was all there, the smoke wafting its way up through the tree canopies, the sound of crackling firewood and the various flavors of the food being cooked on the open grill.

As I continued studying in 2 Corinthians chapter two this morning, those remembrances came to mind along with the thought of one of my wife’s favorite perfumes.   2 Corinthians 2:15 in the Contemporary English Version of the bible says: “In fact, God thinks of us as a perfume that brings Christ to everyone.  For people who are being saved this perfume has a sweet smell and leads them to a better life.  But for people who are lost it has a bad smell and leads them to a horrible death.”

It is interesting to note that the initial use of the word translated “perfume” here or “fragrance” or “aroma” in other translations specifically defines a sweet and pleasant flavor.  The second use of the same English word (in most translations this is found in 2 Corinthians 2:16.  The CEV combines the two verses in to one) is actually another Greek word that is a general term “denoting an odor of any kind, salutary (promoting health) or deadly and therefore more appropriate here, where it is used in both senses.” (Vincent’s Word Studies)

It is interesting to me due to the fact that to God we are only and always a sweet fragrance to Him!  To people, on the other hand, we can carry with us the sweet fragrance of the life of Jesus to those that are saved or actually act as to reflect the stench of death that emits from those that are lost without Christ.  It is a fragrance that one can immediately recognize when they come into its proximity as we did when we walked past the patios where people were barbequing last evening.

My Mom was always a great fan of Avon products.  She always had a supply of them on hand and would freely offer them as gifts to those who came by to visit their home.  When my wife and I were married she immediately set out to find a favorite perfume for Piper.  We finally found one that was very pleasant for both of us and my wife wore it for years until Avon discontinued that particular fragrance (bummer!).

I can clearly remember giving her a hug before I left for work in the morning and then being able to pick up the scent of her perfume on my shirt throughout the day.  For me it was a very pleasant experience and a vivid remembrance of my lovely bride.  In opposition to her delightful fragrance that stirred up wonderful thoughts, I also recall times when I worked in the garden department at The Home Depot in Oklahoma when I would wait on certain customers who (to me) wore perfumes that were simply awful!  These fragrances did not stir up wonderful thoughts and made me want to complete our interactions as fast as I could!  (try that while keeping a smile on your face as you perform top notch customer service toward them!)

According to the verse in 2 Corinthians both of the above examples are similar to the way the different individuals we come into contact with on a daily bases can perceive our presence around them.  Are we a fragrance of the life of Christ or of death?  When people may not seem happy with our being around them we must remember that it is probably not us, but the fragrance of Christ that is not appealing to the dark areas of their lives.  At that point it is most important for us to simply allow the love of Christ to so emanate from us that the lost will come to desire the sweetness of Christ for themselves.  That’s the time to listen to the small still voice inside of you and to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s leading.  There is a right time to share the Gospel or to just simply smile and quietly love on them while letting His light shine through you.  Remember, He is the One that is able to make the change… not you!

So go out today and let the sweet fragrance of Christ permeate the atmosphere wherever you go.  It’s like the times I got into my Camaro and could tell by the lingering flavor in the air that my wife had driven my car that day!  It always brought a smile to my face!  Have a great day.  Stay in tune to His Word, and keep asking yourself… “What am I expecting today?”