There are two types of people in this world: those who love going into shops filled with fragrant items such as candles, soaps, and similar gifts, and those who oppose such an excursion.
I am a proud member of the first party. Despite knowing how bad some of those scent-infused trinkets can be for our endocrine systems, something about a delicious-smelling candle after a long, hard day perks my mood up just a little bit.
One day, while in a store like this, I picked up a beautifully decorated candle. Since its container was so lovely, I just knew the candle’s scent would be an excellent addition to my home. But one whiff of that glassed disaster let me know that was not the case.
I stepped back, stumped.
But the outside is so perfect! How could something so charming smell so bad?
Quickly, I was reminded that if we aren’t careful in our Christian walk, we too can mimic that candle — perfectly polished on the outside, harboring a disgusting aroma on the inside. But the truth is, no matter how pretty a picture we paint on social media, the Lord knows the truth of our hearts.
But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7).
I don’t know about you, but sometimes I can get caught up in how it “looks” to be a Christ-follower in today’s world. With our always-changing technology, appearing to be a Christian is easy in a social-media context.
We can share Bible verses, attend church with our church family every Sunday, teach our children the ABCs of becoming a Christian, and listen to Christian radio. But deep down, our hearts are filled with sin, and our relationship with the heavenly Father is lacking.
So the question arises: If our relationship with Him is amiss, can we effectively point others to Him?
The truth of the matter is that He doesn’t need us. He is the Creator of the world, and He uses the weak of the world to humble the strong. If He wants to use that social media post to draw others to Him – of course He will! But when our hearts are in tune with Him, He can use us to share the gospel more effectively with the lost and dying.
If we are too busy keeping up with the Joneses, how will we ever lead them to Christ?
Are we truly in love with our Savior, or are we “peddling” the truth without applying it to our own lives?
He knows our every thought (Psalms 139:1-2), the number of hairs on our polished heads (Matthew 10:30), and even what plans He has for the future (Jeremiah 29:11-12). He knows the stubbornness and not-so-easy-to-give-up sins that we bury deep down. And He wants us to repent and be lights for Him.
We carry the greatest truth of all – the hope of life. How sad it would be if, by playing pretend, we missed sharing the greatest gift of all.
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 (2 Corinthians 2:15-17).
We have been given the amazing opportunity to be the scent of hope to those who need it most. If we repent from our stinking, unattractive ways, we can run to Him! And there, at His nail-pierced feet, we can rekindle our love for Him and follow His plans.
