abigya
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What’s that smell?
by Vincent M. Newfield
“WHAT’S THAT SMELL?” Have you ever heard or said those words? I say them every time my wife, Allison, bakes her fabulous oven-fresh, oatmeal-raisin cookies. Mmmm, mmmm! I can smell them now! Yes, there’s nothing quite like the flavorful fragrance of delicious food filtering through the air.
FRAGRANCE - Sweetness of smell; that quality which affects the olfactory nerves in the nose with an agreeable sensation; pleasing scent; grateful odor.1
On the contrary, there’s nothing quite like getting a good whiff of something that smells so gross it makes you gag. You know what I mean—the overwhelming odor of something that’s been left too long in the fridge or the rancid scent from the inconspicuous sponge that reeks of rotten food. P. U!
In a similar way, you and I give off a spiritual odor as believers—an invisible aroma inseparably linked to our attitude. Without question, our attitude emits an aroma that either draws people to Jesus or repels them from Him. To have a good attitude, we must abide in the Vine, Christ Jesus (see John 15:4-8). As we do, we bear the fruit of His Spirit—love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (see Galatians 5:22,23). The aroma of these fruits is rich and inviting—to Christians and non-Christians alike.
As a child, I remember regularly being drawn to the “grapes” of goodness and gentleness in my grandmother and grandfather. Similarly, the “pears” of peace and patience portrayed by my parents and Sunday school teachers magnetically pulled me closer to Christ. Not only was I drawn to the rich aroma of their attitude, but I was also able to taste and see that the Lord is good… (Psalm 34:8 NKJV). How? Because their outstanding attitude overflowed into outstanding actions (see Mathew 5:16; 1 Peter 2:12).
Indeed, it is wonderful to be on the receiving end, but God also wants us to freely give to others what we have freely received (see Matthew 10:8). The truth is, our attitude is emitting an aroma all the time. The question is, is it the sweet smell of the Spirit that draws people to Jesus, or is it the sour scent of the fruit of the flesh that repels people from Him?
I must admit, my attitude toward people has left a lot to be desired at times. God showed me this one day when some people of another faith came to my door. The doorbell rang and I could see through the glass who they were. Immediately, my Christlike attitude went south on vacation. I thought, Oh no, not them again! Don’t they have anything better to do?
Now God had already been dealing with me about my attitude, as well as reaching out to the unsaved. The Holy Spirit stopped me in my “mental tracks” and said, “You know, you were once lost, and I sent somebody to you. Many times you thought you knew the truth about Me and you didn’t, so I sent someone to show you the way. These guys at your door, like many others, think they know the truth, and they’re zealously knocking on doors to tell others. They’re more faithful than many Christians, and they’re somebody’s son and somebody’s brother. You’ve asked me to send someone to your family members. Will you reach out with an attitude of love and compassion to somebody else? If you won’t, who will?”
Needless to say, I was cut to the core. I asked God to forgive me for my stinkin’ attitude and to help me represent Him better. Maybe you need to do that too. God loves you and desires to develop His fruit in your life—He wants your attitude to emit a flavorful fragrance that draws people to Him. Somebody somewhere is in desperate need to catch a good whiff of the wonderful Savior we worship. So, as Ephesians 4:23 says, Be constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind [having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude], allowing the fruit of God’s Spirit to be produced in your life and sending out a satisfying smell that draws others to Him!
by Vincent M. Newfield
“WHAT’S THAT SMELL?” Have you ever heard or said those words? I say them every time my wife, Allison, bakes her fabulous oven-fresh, oatmeal-raisin cookies. Mmmm, mmmm! I can smell them now! Yes, there’s nothing quite like the flavorful fragrance of delicious food filtering through the air.
FRAGRANCE - Sweetness of smell; that quality which affects the olfactory nerves in the nose with an agreeable sensation; pleasing scent; grateful odor.1
On the contrary, there’s nothing quite like getting a good whiff of something that smells so gross it makes you gag. You know what I mean—the overwhelming odor of something that’s been left too long in the fridge or the rancid scent from the inconspicuous sponge that reeks of rotten food. P. U!
In a similar way, you and I give off a spiritual odor as believers—an invisible aroma inseparably linked to our attitude. Without question, our attitude emits an aroma that either draws people to Jesus or repels them from Him. To have a good attitude, we must abide in the Vine, Christ Jesus (see John 15:4-8). As we do, we bear the fruit of His Spirit—love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (see Galatians 5:22,23). The aroma of these fruits is rich and inviting—to Christians and non-Christians alike.
As a child, I remember regularly being drawn to the “grapes” of goodness and gentleness in my grandmother and grandfather. Similarly, the “pears” of peace and patience portrayed by my parents and Sunday school teachers magnetically pulled me closer to Christ. Not only was I drawn to the rich aroma of their attitude, but I was also able to taste and see that the Lord is good… (Psalm 34:8 NKJV). How? Because their outstanding attitude overflowed into outstanding actions (see Mathew 5:16; 1 Peter 2:12).
Indeed, it is wonderful to be on the receiving end, but God also wants us to freely give to others what we have freely received (see Matthew 10:8). The truth is, our attitude is emitting an aroma all the time. The question is, is it the sweet smell of the Spirit that draws people to Jesus, or is it the sour scent of the fruit of the flesh that repels people from Him?
I must admit, my attitude toward people has left a lot to be desired at times. God showed me this one day when some people of another faith came to my door. The doorbell rang and I could see through the glass who they were. Immediately, my Christlike attitude went south on vacation. I thought, Oh no, not them again! Don’t they have anything better to do?
Now God had already been dealing with me about my attitude, as well as reaching out to the unsaved. The Holy Spirit stopped me in my “mental tracks” and said, “You know, you were once lost, and I sent somebody to you. Many times you thought you knew the truth about Me and you didn’t, so I sent someone to show you the way. These guys at your door, like many others, think they know the truth, and they’re zealously knocking on doors to tell others. They’re more faithful than many Christians, and they’re somebody’s son and somebody’s brother. You’ve asked me to send someone to your family members. Will you reach out with an attitude of love and compassion to somebody else? If you won’t, who will?”
Needless to say, I was cut to the core. I asked God to forgive me for my stinkin’ attitude and to help me represent Him better. Maybe you need to do that too. God loves you and desires to develop His fruit in your life—He wants your attitude to emit a flavorful fragrance that draws people to Him. Somebody somewhere is in desperate need to catch a good whiff of the wonderful Savior we worship. So, as Ephesians 4:23 says, Be constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind [having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude], allowing the fruit of God’s Spirit to be produced in your life and sending out a satisfying smell that draws others to Him!
