What Do You Smell Like?

Yesterday, I read a passage of Scripture, Ecclesiastes 10:1, "Dead flied putrefy the perfumer's ointment, and cause it to give off a foul odor; So does a little folly to one respected for wisdom and honor."-- NKJV
The New Living Translation puts it like this, "As dead flies cause even a bottle of perfume to stink,so a little foolishness spoils great wisdom and honor."

Our sense of smell is one of the strongest senses. Think about it... We taste with our nose more than we deo with our toungue (Don't believe me? Pinch your nose during dinner tonight and see if the food tastes as good as usual.). Another example of how strong smell is to us: My great uncle Philip died in 1989. I was four years old and can't remember his voice at all. But I have several precious things that belonged to him and they still have a faint hint of his cologne. My Grandmother Will died in 2000. I also can't remember what her voice sounded like, but when I go to what was her house, I can still smell the perfume she used.

Smell is such an important part of life. But smells can be bad as well.It used to be that whenever I'd drive into Parkersburg, WV, I could smell the city water treatment plant as soon as I crossed the bridge. If I didn't turn the AC on recirculate, the stench would be stuck in my car for several miles. Let me tell you, that smell is AWEFUL! Just one whiff and it ruined my trip.

It's the same with us, you know. We can work really hard and say all the right things and go through all the right motions. But if we mess up one time, our perfect record is broken. All it takes is one screw up, one mishap, to wreck our attempt at perfection. Just one bit of stench stinks up your life.

Part of the problem with this is that we are used to bad smells if we're near them enough. Spend time around a person with bad hygiene. They are going to smell bad. But they have probably gotten used to it. We get used to our sins and our stinky life. To us, it's not a big deal. But to God, it is a big deal.

God sent Jesus to cleanse us, literally. When we accept Jesus and are cleansed by His blood and obeying His Word, we smell different. The Bible talks of us being living sacrifices, a sweet smelling aroma to God.So what about you? Does your life smell like the city dump? Or has Jesus made you to smell like a bed of roses? If you smell bad, call on Jesus and He'll clean you up.