Smelling Like Jesus

Our youngest daughter has a flair for the dramatic (no surprise for those of you who know her).


 Several years ago our church did a drama on Easter Sunday between services.  It was very well done and used people of all ages to perform it.  Of course, Anna wanted to be in it.  At that time she was still very tiny and looked much younger than she really was.  So she was fortunate enough to get to be the little  kid who gets lifted up by "Jesus"  and carried during part of the play.


After the drama was over she returned to her seat with the rest of us in the family.  Our oldest son, Nathan, was sitting by her and as she sat down she took in a deep breath and said to him, "Hmmmmmmm, you smell just like Jesus."  Apparently, Josh, who had played the part of Jesus, and Nathan were using the same brand of deodorant!


This makes for a really cute story about a little girl who wants to love Jesus and also loves her big brother.  When I thought of it today it kind of made me reflect on my own heart, though.


The sermon at church today was about the first commandment--"Thou shall have no other gods before me."  Charlie brought out a point that I don't believe I've ever heard before when hearing about C1.  He said that the phrase "before me" means more "in my presence" than it does "in a place of higher priority".  I loved that.  And I hated it.  


Obviously, I don't have a lot of 'foreign gods' hanging around my house but I certainly bring a lot of STUFF into my life that has no business being there since God through Jesus Christ lives in me.  


And that got me thinking about my 'smell'.  

2 Corinthians 2:15-17 (New International Version)

¹⁵For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. ¹⁶To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task? ¹⁷Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, like men sent from God."

This verse has always been a favorite of mine.  I'm afraid I've been kind of stinky lately though.  


2 Corinthians 2:14
But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him.


I'm going to be praying this week that I'll start "smelling" more like Jesus.