Have you ever walked through a rose garden when it’s in bloom or sat on a bench surrounded by gardenias? Here in Arizona our senses are being aroused by citrus blossoms and wildflowers.
In the early 2000’s my mom moved to Montana where Dave and I lived. Right outside the back door of her duplex was a tall lilac bush. Each time she opened the door she would be greeted with the aroma of lilac. She told me she remembered being a small girl and smelling lilacs at her home.
That smell, that sweet fragrance, reminded her of home!
The Bible tells us that our lives have a sweet fragrance to offer to the world.
“ We thank God for the power Christ has given us. He leads us and makes us win in everything. He speaks through us wherever we go. The Good News is like a sweet smell to those who hear it. 15 We are a sweet smell of Christ that reaches up to God. It reaches out to those who are being saved from the punishment of sin and to those who are still lost in sin. ” II Corinthians 2:14-15 NLV
Old Testament sacrifices were to have a sweet odor. The sense of smell played a role in their offerings.
“You may prepare sacrifices to give thanks in any of these three ways. Bring your sacrifice to a priest, and he will take it to the bronze altar. 9 Then, to show that the whole offering belongs to me, the priest will lay part of it on the altar and send it up in smoke with a smell that pleases me.” Leviticus 2:8-9 CEV
Offerings of thanksgiving to God were to be a mixture of fine flour, olive oil and incense. When they were burned by the priest, the offering had a sweet smell that was pleasing to the Lord.
Just as the priests presented the sacrifices to the Lord and it pleased Him, we should offer our lives as a pleasing sacrifice. We are to be like Christ and our lives should be like His, a sacrifice that pleases God. Paul tells us in Romans 12:1-2 that we are to present our bodies a living sacrifice, wholly acceptable unto God.
So, the question comes, is my life one with a sweet fragrance? Do I spend more time thanking God for His goodness and His love than I do complaining about how things could/should/would be better “if only”? As a Christian – a Christ like one – my life should be an offering that pleases the Father.
“Do as God does. After all, you are his dear children. 2 Let love be your guide. Christ loved us and offered his life for us as a sacrifice that pleases God.” Ephesians 5:1-2 CEV
It’s not only the Father who notices that our lives are a sacrifice, but those around us will also notice.
As we enter this week before Easter, I desire for my life to “smell sweet” with praise and thanksgiving to the Father and also with forgiveness and love to those I meet.