we stink!

1 Corinthians 2

15 Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God.

But this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved and by those who are perishing.

16 To those who are perishing, we are a dreadful smell of death and doom.

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



These 2 verses have helped me understand why people react the way they sometimes do.

I doubt they would say it quite like Paul - that we stink ;-)

But what I think we need to understand is that Christ followers in many ways are repugnant to non-believers just by being believers.

It isn't something that we intentionally do.

It just that we have the Holy Spirit inside of us.

As a result, non-believers find being around someone with the Holy Spirit inside them to be a very repugnant thing.

Because in many ways, the Holy Spirit is repugnant to them.

Like I said, a non-believer would never express it that way.

They simply react negatively to something they sense about us that is different from them, & it makes them uncomfortable.

Remember it is the Holy Spirit's job to convict - & He does a pretty good job of it, even when, or especially when, people come upon Him in the heart & life of a Christ follower.


Now this doesn't let us off the hook for bad, ill mannered, judgemental, or obnoxious behavior.

What it does explain is that some people will react negatively towards us simply because we have the Holy Spirit inside us.


So what must we do?

Ask God to channel His love through us, & understand it is what it is sometimes with people.


I hope all this makes sense. It's softly raining outside & is lulling me a bit. So if this missive is a bit fuzzy it's because I'm a bit fuzzy-headed myself this morning ;-)