Don’t Be a Little Stinker or Even a Big One.
I think I figured out where the phrase “little stinker” may have originated. While on vacation with my extended family in the last week, one of our granddaughters was going over to play with our 18 month old grandson just after he’d awakened and emerged on the scene in the living room where the family was gathering. Our granddaughter’s approach was full of smiles and baby-talk greetings, but her retreat was almost wordless. Her face told the story. Her only expression was “Peeewwwwww!” as she beat a hasty retreat. At that moment our grandson was a little stinker, and it had nothing to do with his behavior.
Which odors have the top places on your list of really foul smells?
What odors or essences make the top of your best smells list?
One of the worst odors I have smelled was from a paper mill some 40 miles from the city where I lived. On certain days when the wind was from a specific direction, the odor of the paper mill invaded our city.
On the other hand, one of the most pleasant odors to me is my wife’s perfume or the scent of gardenia blossoms in full bloom around our house in Georgia.
In the Bible-
When Moses led the children of Israel out of Egypt after 400 years of bondage/slavery to Egypt, and as they made the journey from Egypt to the Promised Land, God established ways for His people to worship Him through a system of sacrifices, the Ten Commandments, and the Law of Moses.
The sacrifices of animals, wine, or grain were offered, and the aroma was described as a sweet smelling offering to God, a soothing aroma. I believe the sweet smell to God was not the smoke but the offer of a sacrifice from the heart of a worshipper coming to Him for mercy and given in thankfulness.
PSALM 51: 16-17-18
King David’s confession in Psalm 51 includes a clear reference to God’s not delighting in the act of sacrificing animals but in the attitude of the worshipper. He said, v16. “For you do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it. You do not delight in burnt offering. 17. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit. A broken and contrite heart – These, O, God, You will not despise.
BUT IT ISN’T JUST GOD WHO RECEIVES THE AROMA OF OUR LIFE – OTHERS CAN SMELL OUR AROMA TOO!
When your child shares, helps, serves, obeys…..there is an aroma from their life. It is pleasant.
When a student tries his best regardless of the grade or ranking, there is a soothing aroma of maturity.
When a man/woman refuses to compromise with the world and maintains purity or comes back to God after a time of struggle, a pleasant aroma comes from their soul to God.
When we watch people love each other well; or when they don’t – an aroma emanates from their lives — aroma of life or the aroma of death
2 CORINTHIANS 2:15-16
The more I studied, the more I understood that our lives give off an aroma to God but also to one another. 2 Corinthians 2:15 says, “For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. 16. To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life. And who is sufficient for these things?
THE APOSTLE PAUL DESCRIBES HOW WE ARE TO MAKE SURE THAT BOTH GOD AND OTHERS CATCH THE AROMA OF CHRIST FROM OUR LIVES,
EPHESIANS 5:1-2, 10, 21
Then in Ephesians 5:1-21, but especially in verses 1-2, 10, and 21 we read that there are ways that we can be a sweet smell to God; our lives will be a soothing aroma to our Father.
NASB
Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; 2 and walk in love, just as Christ also loved [a]you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God [b]as a fragrant aroma.
10 [f]trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.
21 [o]and be subject to one another in the [p]fear of Christ.
NET
Therefore, be[a] imitators of God as dearly loved children 2 and live[b] in love, just as Christ also loved us[c] and gave himself for us, a sacrificial and fragrant offering[d] to God.
10 trying to learn[o] what is pleasing to the Lord.
21 and submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.[ae]
WITHOUT MAKING AN EXHAUSTIVE LIST – HERE ARE SOME THINGS I KNOW ARE SOOTHING AROMAS TO GOD
1. Submission to authorities — James 4:7 Submit to God, Resist the devil and he will flee from you. When a child submits to parents; parents to children; wife to husband/husband to wife; employee to employer/employer to employee. In other words we are to put the needs of others above our own. Yes? Yes!
3. Forgiveness from the heart (Ephesians 4:31-32, Matthew 18:35))
4. Have you ever had a “broken spirit” / a “broken and contrite heart”? One of the pleasing aromas to God is Repentance. (Psalm 51:16-17}
5. Perhaps nothing is more pleasing to God than the aroma of true love – love for and love from Him; love for others and love from others; love for the unlovely or unlovable; when you love others in the power of Holy Spirit – I believe God draws in a deep breath and is pleased with the aroma.
Doing good deeds is great and gives off an aroma to God and to others. When you see a child share a toy, voluntarily help, ask if there is anything else they can do to help when others are going on to the next fun thing, it gives off an aroma. Doesn’t it?
When we are not loved, not respected, not encouraged. When another person could have love you but didn’t, and we love back, that is a sweet aroma to God. I know that God sees the motive of our heart, sees the struggle we went through to choose to return good for evil and is pleased. We submit to Him rather than to our own emotions or our selfish will, and I know that because Jesus sees that love and faith, and He is pleased. A sweet aroma rose before Him from our life.
So Now What?
1. Have a fresh encounter with God: Take the next few minutes to ask God this question then listen and respond to Him in prayer: “Father, is my life a sweet aroma to you or not? Am I giving off the odor of death or life in Christ?”
2. Then I want you to do God’s Word: If you see that your life is giving an aroma of death (foul odor) not life, I want you to let God know that you want your future to give to Him and others the smell of life, the soothing aroma of a life well-lived . Ask Him now. If you have never responded to His invitation to receive His gift of mercy and forgiveness for your sin, ask now. Ask God for forgiveness now? When you finish with asking God for forgiveness, I want you to do something else. Grant forgiveness to someone else even before they ask or admit their wrong. Let God free you.
3. Then I want you to tell someone what you have just experienced – a family member or a friend . Maybe you need to ask forgiveness or confess a wrong and admit your desire to be right with God or right with them.
My Promise – you walk in the light and darkness/death/stench will not overtake you.
Now recall the lists from above. Which list does your life appear on – foul smell or soothing aroma? Aroma of death or the smell of life?
Don’t waste one more minute. Ask God to get you over to the pleasant, soothing, life-giving list.