I am Blessed to have a full outdoor kitchen at the lake. On mornings I fire up the smoker my neighbor strolls over and says, “Whatcha cooking, dead bird?” My smoked chicken is his favorite. The only way he knows I am cooking is by the smell. He, like many people, is attracted to the smell.

Smell is one of the 5 Senses. For me, smell triggers memories and expectations. I am either attracted to, or repelled by, what I smell. I am repelled by rotten food, the smell of a cotton mouth snake, or an old unkept outhouse. But when I walk into a house with something in the oven, that is when my mouth begins to water. I visualize sitting around the table eating, laughing, and enjoying the fellowship.

Think about this. Smell has no words, no sound, no look and you have to be close to get it. Smell is personal. Some people are drawn, and others are repelled by a smell. Smelling is something you experience…you must be there to know the smell. Several years ago, I put this Principle to use when we had a booth at a conference. If you can’t attract people to your booth, you have wasted your money & time. We found the smell of bacon or popcorn was very effective to catch people’s attention when they come through the convention hall doors.

How do you smell? I don’t mean do you have BO, or do you wear Beautiful perfume? No, if you are a Believer, are you attracting people? Paul said it this way in Ephesians 5:2 we are to be “as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God…” Just like my neighbor who comes over when I smoke meat…do you attract people? In 2 Corinthians 2:14 we are told, “But 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.” In kitchen talk this means, do people smell Jesus in you? Does His aroma ooze out of your heart?

More importantly, are you what you smell like? In other words, are people attracted to you by an initial smell, but then they get something from the rotter drawer of your refrigerator? Are we saying or posting in the Name of Jesus followed by complaining, grumbling and political rants? We are called to be “the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.” 2 Corinthians 2:15

How do you smell?