That Fireplace Smell

I had to spend a couple days away at a conference this month.  My husband enjoyed his time as a “bachelor” by inviting some of his guy friends over one evening.  They bonded male-style with some wings, a movie, and a fire in the fireplace.  I was happy that he could have some extra time with some very encouraging friends.

But I was not so happy about the smell when I returned.  Fireplace smell.  My husband had done a good job cleaning out the ashes and vacuuming the carpet, but the smell still lingered.   Some people find the smell of fireplaces to be pleasant and comforting.  But in our home, it just smells old and stale and yucky to me.

I quickly got to work sweeping out even more ashes, vacuuming again, spraying the carpet with odor-killer, plugging in an air-freshner, and even disinfecting the fireplace.   I was determined to get rid of that smell.  But nothing seemed to do the trick.

The Bible says that we have a certain “smell” on us as Christians too.  2 Corinthians 2:14-17 says, “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; to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life.  And who is adequate for these things?  For we are not like many, peddling the word of God, but as from sincerity, but as from God , we speak in Christ in the sight of God.”

Our “smell” as believers is Christ on us – “the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him.”  To believers we “smell” fragrant, like a perfume.   But to unbelievers we have an odor, a smell of death.    Isn’t it funny that the same smell could be stinky to one person and pleasant to another person?   It’s kinda like a fireplace – some think it smells good, but to me it smells awful.

But as for the Christ-smell on me, I say, stink it up!  I want more of His aroma on me all the time.  I want to smell sweetly of service and encouragement to my sisters in Christ.  And I want to be super-stinky to the unbelievers around me too!  Let them breathe Him in at 100 percent potency.  No sweeping him away or covering Him up with an “air-freshener” of over-tolerance or timidity.  Why should I care what they think of my “perfume”, of my testimony?  Let the world turn up their noses, but I want to smell like Jesus.

With a few days of open windows, thanks to the warmer weather, our house smells normal again.  But in my words and actions, I want to spray on more of that sweet Christ-smell every day.    Sweet or stinky, I want people to know without a doubt what kind of fragrance I’m wearing – Eau de Jesus!

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