She was the Fragrance of Christ

It was a hand-made wedding gift presented to his wife and him that caught his attention. He had never seen such detail and meticulousness put into a gift before. His new colleague had never mentioned this talent she had; then again, she was a relatively quiet person and not one to make herself the center of attention. There was probably more to her than he knew about and he was interested to find out.

It was a hobby, she shared, and her way of doing something personalized for her friends’ special occasions. As the conversation developed further, he found out that she was a Christian and her attention to detail was honed during her stint as a staff in a Christian organization for young people. Her mindset and interests were so different from the rest of his colleagues. One question led to another and he soon found himself asking about her faith and why she believed in God.

“Would you like to attend a book reading club at a church?” she asked him one day. He agreed without hesitation.

Not an exceptionally exciting or mind-blowing account I would admit—but listening to my friend (whom I shall address as Amy) excitedly relate how she eventually managed to share her faith with her colleague was truly encouraging. Amy had exemplified what it meant to be a testimony to those around her. She led her life in a manner that drew others to question why she lived the way she did. Her life spoke louder than her words and it was the natural and logical way to lead others to Christ.

Amy’s encounter reminded me of the calling that all of us as Christians have. We are called to be the aroma of Christ to both Christians and non-Christians. In 2 Corinthians 2:12-16, Paul said that his suffering for Christ’s sake was the “fragrance” that drew others to the knowledge of Christ. He wrote:

“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. Who is sufficient for these things?”—2 Corinthians 2:14-16 (ESV)

How about us? Are our lives an aroma of Christ to God among our family and friends?