Aroma.

But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place. For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.

2 Corinthians 2:14-15

I came across this verse during my morning devotion time a couple of days ago and it got me thinking about this word "aroma". What does it mean for me to manifest the sweet aroma of Christ in every place? I think this also connects to a discussion we had at PGG last week about what it means for someone to be "radiant". I'm quite familiar with the idea of aroma. Trigger words like baked goods or barbeque are perfect examples of foods that I'm able to associate with a specific scent, but what scent do I connect to Christ? It almost sounds silly to think that the things of Christ have a scent, but I had this thought:  why do I enjoy eating cookies freshly baked out of the oven? I'm drawn to them because I find the aroma pleasant. Even if I'm not hungry I'm always up for eating them because of their smell. Shouldn't the things of Christ have that same affect on us? We can't always pinpoint exactly what it is but there's something that draws us to His word each time. That is the unique aroma that the life of Christ gives off. Even when we think we're satisfied we are always open to getting one more taste of our Lord. 

When I think of something fragrant I think of a rose -- it has a delightful scent. So for us to be a fragrance of Christ in this world means that we should have a pleasant aroma. There are aromas that we enjoy and are drawn to and also those we avoid because we find them unpleasant. When people are around us do they smell the life of Christ and find it pleasant, or are they disgusted by the aroma we give off? It's the same thing with being radiant: do we bring brightness into the lives of people around us or do we quench it? 

What is special about something that is radiant or has a sweet aroma is that it can be sensed from afar. We don't need to be near the sun to say that it's radiant, nor do we need to see exactly where a barbecue is happening for our mouths to water. As we walk through life do people see the radiance of Christ or smell His sweet aroma from afar? Only something that is entirely radiant and sweet from within can be sensed without having to get really close. May we all desire to be filled with the radiance and sweet aroma of Christ from within so that the outward display would be a natural thing.