we stink!

Our lives are a fragrance presented by Christ to God.

But this fragrance is perceived differently by those being saved & those perishing.

To those who are perishing we are a fearful smell of death & doom.

But to those who are being saved we are a life-giving perfume.

2 Corinthians 10:15-16



What's Paul really saying here?

We need to remember that for people who don't follow Jesus sometimes our lives as Christ followers remind them of how far their live are out of sync with God.

Now,I don't think this is a conscious thought process a lot of the time.

Sometimes they interpreted what makes them uncomfortable around us as our arrogance as saying follow Christ is the only way to God.

Or they may not respond to our thinking that some types of behavior or thinking are not right or are morally wrong.

(Remember that one of the biggest lies our world pivots on these days is that there are so absolutes, except there are no absolutes.)

And there's probably a healthy chunk of people who just think those of us who follow Jesus are just plain stupid people - that building our lives on a dead Jewish dude who may or may not have lived 2000+ years ago is the action of someone who not all that bright.

Or there may be any number of other reasons people would say to quantify their discomfort or distaste for Christ followers.


Bottom line? We really make them uncomfortable.

And I think it's valid for them to say that we do.

Because we are diametrically different from them.

They would say it's because we are arrogant, judgmental, narrow, intolerant, &/or stupid.

We would say that it's because we're connected to the Life-giver Himself & they are not.


I guess we must then walk a fine line between trying to connect with non-Christ followers while at the same time not denying who we are in our connection with God.


So, what am I saying here?

I have to remind myself that sometimes, no matter how hard we try, some folks are just not gonna want to connect with us.

And it's not because of something we've said or done.

But that simply because as a Christ follower, we make them VERY uncomfortable.

Whether on a conscious or subconscious level, it's because they are responding negatively to the Jesus in us, & the power that comes from being filled with the Holy Spirit.


I hope all that made sense...