Fragrant Reminders

A few years ago, I was taking a long run through the little Arkansas town in which we lived.  I was running a route through a neighborhood I had passed through many times on my runs.  On this particular day, as I listened to my running playlist on my earbuds, pacing my breathing with each stride, I was enjoying the beautiful weather of the day, the sunshine and the light breeze that was blowing.  Just as I passed behind Sequoyah Elementary School, at the intersection of Sequoyah Way and Neptune Drive, I was suddenly inundated with a childhood memory and emotion.  It wasn't something I saw or a sound that I heard.  I wasn't reminiscing about days gone by.  This sudden experience of nostalgia, memory and emotion, came as the result of a smell...yes...a simple odor.  That gentle breeze wafted across my path, brining with it the smell of the pine thicket bordering the street.  I immediately looked to my right, seeing the pine trees, with the ground covered by a brown carpet of fallen pine needles.  In this moment, I was taken back to my elementary school days on the playground behind King Springs Elementary School, in my hometown. I remembered the pine thicket that was a part of that playground and, upon which I had spent many hours playing with my classmates during our daily recess.  It was a powerful moment as that smell triggered such vivid memories and happy emotions about those childhood experiences.

The Power of Olfactory Memory

Olfactory memory is memory that is triggered by smells from past experiences.  It is said to be one of the most powerful of memory triggers.  The reason is easy to explain.  In the brain, the senses of sight, sound, and taste go to the thalamus, which is the relay center of the brain. The thalamus sends these messages to the various centers of the brain, including the amygdala (responsible for processing emotion) and the hippocampus (responsible for memory).  However, when we experience the sense of smell, the signal bypasses the thalamus and goes to the olfactory bulb, which is directly connected to the amygdala and hippocampus.  There is no slow down or filtering by the thalamus.  This explains why smells can trigger very strong memories and associated emotions.  This is why certain aromas at Christmas are so meaningful to us due to being connected with pleasant experiences of our childhood, or, why a widow may sleep with the shirt of her late husband for months after his passing, or a mother becomes nostalgic and wistful when she smells the familiar fragrance of the baby lotion she used when her child was an infant.  Olfactory memory is a powerful influence.

Photo by GESPHOTOSS on Unsplash

The Power of Christ-like Fragrances

It is no coincident that this is the very imagery that God inspired the Apostle Paul to write about as he described our lives as followers of Christ in the letter to the Corinthian church.

But thank God! He has made us his captives and continues to lead us along in Christ’s triumphal procession. Now he uses us to spread the knowledge of Christ everywhere, like a sweet perfume. Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God. But this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved and by those who are perishing. To those who are perishing, we are a dreadful smell of death and doom. But to those who are being saved, we are a life-giving perfume. And who is adequate for such a task as this? You see, we are not like the many hucksters who preach for personal profit. We preach the word of God with sincerity and with Christ’s authority, knowing that God is watching us.

2 Corinthians 2:14-17

Have you ever considered yourself a perfume?  A fragrant aroma?  As a follower of Christ, that is exactly what you are...or should be.  Think about the significance of these words that describe us as a "Christ-like fragrance."

1. We are captivated by the love of God and redemption of Christ - Like a victorious king returning from battle, and his captives following along behind him in procession, Jesus has redeemed us and rescued us from the kingdom of darkness, giving us new life and eternal reward.  It is as though we are now a part of that triumphal procession of captives who give witness to the wonderful salvation that comes in Him.
2. We become a pleasant aroma of Christ among others in the world - Wherever we go, as those who have been redeemed by the victorious gospel of Christ, we spread the good news of the knowledge of Christ…like a sweet perfume.  Our lives are like a sweet, pleasing aroma that arises to God the Father, much in the same way that the Old Testament speaks of the “pleasing aroma” of the sacrifice that was offered on the alter in worship to Him.  That fragrance pleases God and it impacts those around us.
3. We can’t control how others will perceive our fragrance - The Apostle Paul pointed out that we cannot determine how others will perceive or receive the aroma of Christ upon our lives. All we can do is make sure we are exuding that aroma as purely and profusely as possible.  Some will receive it with gladness as they are receiving the life-giving power of Christ.  Others will be reminded of the dreaded wrath to come, but they will refuse to accept the offered remedy for the pending judgment.  The weight lies upon the individual, our responsibility lies in being an aroma of Christ.
4. We have only to be true to the gospel and the power of God - You may be familiar with the story Jesus told of “The Sower and the Soils” (Matthew 13:1-23).  It speaks of a person who sowed seed with the anticipation that, from it, plants would emerge.  Jesus described four types of soil upon which the seed fell…hard soil, rocky soil, soil containing weeds and fertile soil.  In each of soil contexts, the seed had various levels of productivity.  All, except the fertile soil, failed to produce a successful crop.  It was only the fertile soil that produced the anticipated crop of plants.  Even that soil, as Jesus explained, produced varying harvests…100 times, 60 times or 30 times, what was sown.  There was nothing wrong with the seed…there is nothing wrong with the gospel.  It will always depend upon the heart of the receiver.  It comes down to the openness of the individual to hear, believe and receive.  The power of God’s Spirit works to draw each one to Himself.  We are called to be an aroma of Christ and leave the rest to God.

​Our Purpose and Influence for the Gospel

On this week's Purposed365 Podcast, Jasman Rolle interviews musician, community youth worker and entrepreneur, Ronald Morrell, Jr. (listen here).  Morrell shares about his journey of ministry and purpose through music, church, working with youth and starting and growing a business.  He touches on...

• Blank canvas - look for places and ways to pursue your purpose where it can make the most impact and provide something that a community lacks.  God may open unseen opportunities for His glory in unexpected places.
• How you can impact the next generation - always consider how God can use you to make a difference in the next generation.  Your purpose should leave a legacy that outlives you and extends the power of the gospel for generations to come.
• “God has called me to destroy walls and build bridges…” Ronald Morrell, Jr. - Ask yourself, "How can I fulfill my purpose in ways that break down walls and build bridges?"  Morrell says that doing so will "bring God's will on earth as it is in heaven."
• “Faith and Entrepreneurship” - living one's faith and making a living does not have to be two separate things...it actually shouldn't be.
• The Spirit in us impacts those around us - when the presence of Christ is in us, it will overflow into the lives of those around us, to make a lasting impact.
• Give back to the community…pour into the lives of children/youth - as we pursue our purpose in life, make a living, and build a life, never forget where you came from.  Never forget to pour into the community in which you live.  Always look for ways to invest in others...especially the next generation.
• Open their eyes to the possibilities - point youth to the real possibilities that lie before them.  While many youth, particularly those of color, think that professional sports or illicit drug dealing may be their only ways to be successful, we need to be voices that tell them there are opportunities that they are capable of pursuing, and that they can do whatever is required to make something great of their lives. 
• Success = “Hittin’ on the 1”  - the 1 beat is the most important in a musical composition enabling a band to play together successfully. Hitting on the 1 is how everyone in the band makes sure they are on beat.  If they don't, the song is going to become chaotic and sound terrible.  In life, we want to make sure we are "hittin' on the 1," which means making sure our priority is God's priority.  As Matthew 6:33 tells us, "Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you."

Sniff Test

The question we need to ask ourselves is..."How do I smell?"  We can do a lot to try to smell good...put on lots of cologne, make sure we use deodorant, or just stand downwind from others (haha).  However, those efforts only cover up the real odor, or try to redirect it.  If we are living in purpose that is centered upon a vibrant relationship with Jesus Christ...our Redeemer and King...His Spirit within us will produce an aroma that is pleasing to the Father and will waft over those around us.  That aroma will trigger a response that can open the door to their entry into eternal life...making you a fragrant reminder.