Aroma Of Life
This is an audio recording of Aroma of Life the Day 23 entry in Today: Devotions for Seafarers (Vol. 2) by Jason Zuidema.
Listen to the audio by Donielle Hart Goad or read the text below:
“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? Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, as those sent from God. ”
Discovering other cultures is fascinating not only because of new things you see and hear, but also because of the variety of new smells. Though you might already enjoy some of that from various ethnic foods on your ship, many other smells from numerous cultures are distinctive and rich. Even within the same region there might be dozens of ways to make a similar kind of dish— all with their own blends of herbs and spices and their aromas.
Not all of the smells in a different culture may be pleasant, however. It can take some time to get used to the smells of some unfamiliar places. Worse, rotting food, animal waste, or a general lack of sanitation can make your stomach turn. And foul odors might be not only disgusting but also toxic.
Paul writes that believers who share the good news of Christ can be a kind of aroma to the people around them. For those who are ready to believe in Christ, this smell will be sweet and inviting. But for others, who think they can live any way they choose or achieve their own salvation, the aroma will be a turnoff, like the odor of death.
However, as Christ continues to lead us and we show his love for everyone in this broken, decaying world, people will recognize God's goodness and grow to praise him for it. Let us pray that the smell of what we are bringing is not repulsive but attracts others to the Lord of life.
For Further Thought
What is the smelliest food you have encountered from another city or culture in the world?
What aromas from your home country do you miss the most?
Is your life a sweet aroma for the people around you, or do you stink? Explain.
Prayer
Beautiful Savior, make my actions sweet to the senses of those around me today. Help me to reflect your beauty in a world that is full of ugly conflict and disease. In your name, Amen.
