2 Corinthians 2:12-17

12 Now when I went to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ and found that the Lord had opened a door for me, 13 I still had no peace of mind, because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I said good-by to them and went on to Macedonia.

14 But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ's triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere. 15 For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. 16 To the one we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life. And who is equal to such a task? 17 Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, as those sent from God.

A Few Words On the Olfactory Senses

I can’t stand the smell of fish. It doesn’t matter what kind of fish it is – I detest the smell of fish. That’s why every time I’ve been to a zoo, I cringe when the animal trainer comes out with a big pail of fish to feed the animals. The seals and walruses go crazy to the extent that they “clap” and wriggle from side to side with jubilation. Yuck!

What smells absolutely horrible to me, smells like a really good, life-sustaining meal to those zoo animals. For a few bites of fish, they’ll even perform embarrassing tricks for a large audience!

There is a great analogy here:

In these verses, Paul paints a great picture of the Christian ministry. He thought of believers as incense, from which the fragrance of Jesus was experienced in the lives and labors of Christ-followers. Within a community of believers, this fragrance means life. To many unbelievers, the fragrance is the stench of death.

Now, I don’t exactly think the smell of fish is like death , but I certainly make a b line to the bottle of Febreze to cover it up! Which leads me to ask: Are we leading lives that offer up a fragrance that God delights in, or are we more concerned with smelling like potpourri to the world?