The Aroma of Christ - The Crosswalk Devotional - July 7

The Aroma of Christ
By Whitney Hopler

“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. For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. 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?” - 2 Corinthians 2:14-16 NIV

When my daughter Honor was three years old, she asked to go shopping with me for some new candles for our home. I told her she could choose a few candles with her favorite fragrances. She began methodically sniffing candles at the store, row by row until she had sniffed every single one of the more than 300 candles in stock. After the first 20 or so, I was already losing patience and telling her to hurry up and choose some.

“Wait,” she replied simply, continuing her olfactory adventure. Annoyed, I paced around the aisles while watching her. Her face lit up with awe every time she breathed in a new scent – gingerbread, crisp linen, raspberry, apple pie, lavender, vanilla, cinnamon, rain showers, rose, eucalyptus, pumpkin, spruce, jasmine, sage, and many more.

Soon, concerned that I was missing out on a valuable experience, I joined her. Time seemed to stand still as I gave myself over to the wonder of savoring each scent. I don’t know how long we were in that candle store since time no longer mattered while we experienced a sense of awe together.

Our sense of smell can usher us into awe-inspiring experiences in many ways. We can enjoy the aroma of freshly baked bread or chocolate chip cookies at a meal and give thanks to God for our food. We can hike in a forest and enjoy the scent of evergreen trees as nature reminds us of God. There are countless other ways that our physical sense of smell can lead us to spiritual awe. When that happens, our souls notice the wonder of God’s work around us, and we’re filled with gratitude.

One way we can thank God for being able to enjoy pleasing scents is to try to live in a way that smells pleasing to God. When we prioritize our relationship with God and ask for his help to be holy day by day, we become “the pleasing aroma of Christ” that the Bible describes in 2 Corinthians 2:15 NIV. Ephesians 5:1-2 NIV encourages us to: “Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” In biblical times, people often used incense during worship so that a strong and pleasant fragrance would rise to God along with their prayers. Psalm 141:2 NIV says in part: “May my prayer be set before you like incense…” and the Book of Revelation describes people’s prayers on earth showing up in heaven with the scent of incense.

Our physical sense of smell can remind us of the importance of living lives that give off the spiritual aroma of Christ. So, let’s stay connected to God in prayer and do our best to live in ways that honor him. When we do, we’ll please God and help others notice how sweet it can be to enjoy relationships with God.

Intersecting Faith and Life:
As you reflect on the aroma of Christ, consider these questions:

What are some fragrances that help you feel a sense of awe?
What memories or emotions do those scents evoke? How do they remind you of God’s presence and love in your life?
How can you intentionally seek out those scents in your life?
How can you use your sense of smell to connect with God more and to remind you to live a life that is pleasing to God?
What are a few specific decisions you can make to live a life that gives off the aroma of Christ?

Further Reading:

Whitney Hopler is the author of the Wake Up to Wonder book and the Wake Up to Wonder blog, which help people thrive through experiencing awe. She leads the communications work at George Mason University’s Center for the Advancement of Well-Being. Whitney has served as a writer, editor, and website developer for leading media organizations, including Crosswalk.com, The Salvation Army USA’s national publications, and Dotdash.com (where she produced a popular channel on angels and miracles). She has also written the young adult novel Dream Factory. Connect with Whitney on X/Twitter and on Facebook.