Blog: What’s that smell?
By Rebecca Hiner
Introduction
by Dr. Judi Jackson
I think it takes a special person to be on the lookout for ‘God-sightings’ in the course of everyday life. Most Christians believe – on some level – that God is at work in our lives, weaving opportunities to share His love and speak His name to those around us. But how many of us actually acknowledge it when it happens?
I love that Rebecca Hiner, an MDiv student finishing up her first semester at NOBTS, did just that. She went into an ordinary situation and allowed God to show Himself to her in a new and fresh way! Check out her thoughts below!
What’s That Smell?
by Rebecca Hiner
But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of knowledge of Him in every place. For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; to the one aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life and who is adequate for these things? — 2 Corinthians 2:14-16
So I’m sitting in the nail salon getting a pedicure…trying to enjoy some alone time and I happened to drift off into this commercial that was playing on the salon TV. It was an ad for a specific brand of air freshener. The commercial showed several different women from very different lifestyles. One woman had a relatively nice home and she wanted to portray the smell of a bigger nicer home. The other woman had a son and wanted her home (especially her sons’ room) to smell like he was away at school.
It was mesmerizing to me how these women so desperately wanted to cover up their lives. They wanted to make sure they did whatever they had to do to portray the perfect life…the perfect household….and, according to the sales pitch on TV, they could do just that if they bought one tiny spray can of air freshener.
I then looked down at the beautiful woman taking such gentle care with me and around the room at all the beautiful ladies just trying to slip away from the craziness of life, and it blew my mind the correlation between this simple commercial and our daily lives. It made me start thinking about what the Lord must think of us. How do our lives smell to the Lord? What things do we do or say to try to cover up our mistakes or hurts or sins?
We may think that we have it all together and that we can create this “perfect” image of ourselves in front of our co-workers, our family and friends, and even our spouse and no one will find out the real us….but, in reality, HE knows our hearts. The smells that we carry around with us underneath all the layers that we wear everyday still drift up towards the heavens and go into the nostrils of Christ.
No amount of air freshener can change our lifestyle…only the overwhelming love and grace of Christ can. He can renew us and can help us create a fresh and sweet smell that is pleasing to Him if we ask Him to.
…and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” — Ephesians 5:2