Lingering Thoughts

“For we are unto God a sweet savor of Christ . . .” (2 Corinthians 2:15)

Today’s thought for your journey is one assigned in my devotional series for the holidays. But the Lord has reminded me several times of this journey-thought, and after reading a heart-moving article, reminding me once again, the timing is right. Someone other than me may need reminding of Jesus’s words.

The young mother was grocery shopping with her preschool daughter at her side when suddenly the little one darted off. She walked up to her and asked, “What are you doing?” Her daughter quickly responded, “MaMom is here!” Assuming she must have caught a glimpse of someone who resembled her grandmother, Mom explained how it was unlikely since the grandparents live so far away. Walking down the next aisle, the little one began looking around and said again, “Mama, MaMom is here!” Because she was even more insistent of her grandmother’s presence in the store, her mama asked, “What makes you think MaMom is here?” The preschooler emphatically replied, “I smell her!” You see, for decades, the grandmother wore the same perfume. The mother and daughter did not find the lady, but the lingering fragrance was undeniable.

The word fragrance suggests a lasting, pleasant smell, while the word odor often suggests an offensive smell. Paul wrote that our lives are, not should be, a Christ-like fragrance. What is it that lingers when someone thinks of you? Will those lingering thoughts be an aroma, suggesting anticipation of seeing you again, or a fond memory held because of an exemplary faithful life lived? Did your lingering fragrance cause someone to turn away from a wrong path taken and recommit to God? Or does your life leave a lingering odor—something less undesirable?

Does your life leave a fragrance that draws others to Jesus or an odor that turns them away from inviting Him into their lives or from following Him? When you set your heart on pleasing your Father, He will replenish your sweet-smelling influence. Decide in your heart today to continually expel a Christ-like fragrance, having been with Jesus, rather than an unpleasant odor wherever you are. Be remembered as a fragrance.