SWEET SMELLING AROMA

EPHESIANS 5:2  And walk in love as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling aroma..

All through the scriptures, Jesus is our example of love, and is Who we are striving to be like in our Christian lives.  He gave Himself to us as the "perfect" sacrifice to God, and He was the sweet smelling aroma.  As we give ourselves in acts of love to others, we can be that sweet aroma to God.  I was thinking about this and wondering to myself, what is this kind of love really, and more importantly, how do we demonstrate it?  To be able to practice love, we need to know what it is biblically.  Throughout scripture, love is characterized as an action.  First of all, love teaches the truth to others and ministers to their needs.  It sets an example by swerving others and stimulating them to grow.  It covers other people's faults and forgives.  Love also endures the problems and idiosyncrasies of others and sacrifices on their behalf.  Self-sacrificial love gives spiritual truth, help, and concern to those in need...that's the heart of Christian living, and it's the magnet that can attract the world.

I was also thinking about that "sweet smelling aroma" that Jesus is.  Anyone who knows me well knows of my love of a nice fragrance or perfume.  It is seldom that I venture into a department store without going to the counter where it is all displayed and sold and spraying samples onto the little cards to enjoy the many different varieties of sweet smells.  It attracts me and satisfies my senses HUGELY for some some reason. So for me, I love to think about Jesus being that sweet smelling aroma for God, and that we too might be that sweet smell to Him through Jesus with out our lives and love for others.

All of this is so much easier said than done.  To love others in this way is what I of course strive to do, but often find myself falling so short.  But as we enter the month of November and think and dwell on all that we have to be grateful for and that which blesses us, I am reminded again of the need to love others as He loves us, and to spread that sweet fragrance of His love to a lost and dying world.  Hope you all have a wonderful day and spend time rejoicing in our MANY blessings and spreading HIS love around!  Debbie