“But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life.” [ 2 Corinthians 2:14-15 ]

As we look forward to the new year, many of us are pledging to change things about our life and habits. I know I am sitting here thinking of things and trying to not let it be overwhelming.

After reading the above verse from 2 Corinthians last week, I thought a lot about whether my life is the aroma of Christ. Paul says that through us God will spread the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. That means that through our lives, people should sense the truth of Jesus Christ.

When I walk into my friend Morgan’s house, I am greeted by the sweetest smells! What’s even crazier is that I got to visit her classroom a couple months ago (she’s a high school teacher), and her classroom smelled just like her house! I can only hope to have my home smell that wonderful. She probably has stock in Febreze and Scentsy, but all joking aside, the smell of her home is so memorable. It brings comfort, it hints that her house is clean, and it’s consistent. And if I have to be honest, it makes me want to replicate it. So I too trekked to the grocery store and stocked up on different smell-good things to make my home smell that way. (As an aside, the first guest we had commented on the way my house smelled, so that was a relief).

There are some people in my life that I draw close to because they have qualities I want to replicate. Some of my friends are so prayerful, they have held tight to the truth that nothing happens without prayer. I draw close to them, so I can draw in the scent of that quality and be filled with the desire to replicate it. Some of my friends are so kind and I can see the love of Christ in that kindness; I likewise draw close to them to be able to replicate those qualities. There is an aroma about their lives that reminds me of Jesus and makes my heart want to replicate that.

My husband is one of these people. When I was considering whether or not to marry him, I reminded myself that if I lived my life alongside this person, I will constantly be reminded about Jesus and will certainly become more like Jesus. What more could I want in life than to be more like Jesus by seeing a good example of Jesus in my husband?

There are some scents that make us hungry. I regularly make this turkey chili recipe I stumbled upon a few years ago, and the first few ingredients are so fragrant, your mouth waters. The scent reminds you of what’s to come and makes you hungry.

Using this as a metaphor, Paul says that our lives should be the aroma of Christ to those around us. Our lives should remind others of what’s to come and make them hungry. Hungry to know God. Of course, that is not always the case. At times the aroma of Christ in our lives will make those who don’t know Him disgusted. Paul says to those that are perishing it is the fragrance of death to death, and to those who are begin saved, life to life. The one thing that can be said is that our lives should not be met with indifference. The aroma of Christ should be unignorable.

So for this new year, I would love to resolve to be the aroma of Christ to those around me.

Are you the aroma of Christ to people in your life? Does being around you make others hunger for Jesus? Do the people who are closest to you make you hungry for Jesus? Or do the people around you feed your hunger for your desires of the flesh?