A Fragrant Life

My husband and I went to a perfume store the other day, and let me just tell you I’m obsessed with smells. Food, candles, candy…God gave us a powerful sense of smell and I know this sounds silly, but bear with me. Anyway, I get in the store and strike up a conversation with the perfume salesperson and end up sharing the gospel with him. God physically healed his lower back pain and from that, it opened up his heart to hear the truth. My husband and I had a conversation just before this about how effortless we want to be when we share Christ in everyday life and without trying it was like the words just fell out( ty Jesus). So, I started with my testimony and shared what God had done for me and how He radically changed my life.

I talked about the importance of repentance. I shared that it's important that when we repent that it's not just feeling bad about sin, but making a conscious decision to turn away from sin and turn to God. I told him God will supernaturally help us to change when we take the step to repent. I began to tell him that when we are baptized into christ it's not just a symbol but that the old life (pursuits, desires, and all) is buried in the water. I said that When we come out of the water, sin is washed away and we are raised anew into this life with Christ. I told him that Jesus promised us something even more than that, He gave us the holy spirit, and when we receive that, the holy spirit will help us to walk like Christ and that we don't have to fake being a Christian and try hard just to be perfect, but that God will empower us to be bold and to walk as Jesus did. I felt the holy spirit tell me to leave him with this message and said, "the kingdom of God has come near to you today, but I want you to ask God what to do with it. I want you to ask God if there is any sin in your life that you need to truly repent of and ask Him to reveal himself to you tonight and I believe He will show you".

I left it at that and my husband and I will stay connected to him.

We look forward to hearing how His conversation went with God and the future testimony of this young man. God touched the salesman that day and the salesman gave me some beautiful perfumes as a gift to take home I can’t stop thinking about this encounter and what it means to live a fragrant life for Christ. How precious that every time I wear them I will remember to let all I do be like a fragrance that smells sweet to the lost hurting and broken! It’s crazy to think that one minute we were talking about perfume and next, the Holy Spirit took over, and then the kingdom of God was right in front of Him.

I say all that to say this. If we call ourselves Christians we need to be living a fragrant life. People are lost and they need hope that lasts beyond being famous, paying the bills, or living for the moment. They need hope beyond having precious memories and get-togethers. This life is short and people are looking For purpose. Let’s ooze out with the fragrance of Christ and let’s tell them about Who He is. Let’s share our testimonies with them and do more than just invite them to church. Let’s Be the church and act Christlike!

Jesus Christ wasn't put on this earth just to die for our sins. He came to set an example of how we should live and act so that we could become the fragrance of who He is to a dying world. Our lives are to be poured out as an offering, so that we're not living for ourselves, but using every opportunity to glorify God and spread His kingdom.

We are called to do his will, to love unconditionally, and to be an example in the world of who Christ is by our everyday actions. He told us that we would lay hands on the sick and they would recover, He told us that signs and wonders would follow those who believe

and that just like the woman who poured out her precious perfume on Jesus, we need to be reminded that our lives are to be poured out for him. This is worship.

I want to encourage those today who feel like Christianity is a struggle. it's only a struggle if you haven't given everything up and decided to fully repent.

He paid so you didn't have to go to church pretending to be free, but all the while still struggling in secret sin. That's not freedom. He paid so you didn't have to sit through endless hours of support groups, but so that you could have a relationship with him and be healed physically emotionally, and supernaturally of all the hurt from your past. The bible says," by your stripes, I'm healed" and it says what it means.

When Jesus died on the cross and said "My God my God why have you forsaken me?" It was because He became sin for you and was forsaken by God for a moment so that you would never have to be forsaken again. When you give your life to Christ and turn from sin,

you will never be forsaken EVER again. He purchased rejection with His perfect blood to set you free of it.

He died so we wouldn't stay in the struggle. Jesus said, "do not let your hearts be troubled, but trust in me." He died to give you a new identity!

You're not your sickness, disease, race, or sexual orientation, but as a matter of fact, you're so much more. You're called to a new life in Him and that can only

happen when you give him the old one and trust Him to heal and transform it

I want to encourage those who got baptized and feel completely the same.

If it was just a symbol, then decide to be baptized for the right reason. It's not so people can support your journey. It is to put to death you’re old life and be washed so you can be clean, free of the guilt of all you've done, and that you can

live your life in a new beginning with Christ.

I want to encourage those who believe have received the spirit, but don't feel like they have the power. How do you know you did?

The bible says that when the holy spirit came upon them there was evidence of tongues or prophecy but, wouldn't you know it, that tongues are a sign, especially for the unbeliever, so if you don't believe then you're the perfect candidate to receive it. Get your prayer language! If you haven't received what Christ has promised you then it's time to receive it. To ask God, to ask people to lay hands on you and to believe He wants to fill you with what He promised so that you can carry out the gospel with power and commune with God praying in the Spirit at all times as Ephesians 6 says.

-I want to encourage those of you who have everything God has promised and ask you this

What are you doing with it? Is your life fragrant? When Jesus comes back will he find you doing what He asked you to do or will he say to you, depart from me I never knew you?

If we know Him, we will walk like him, love like him and share with those who don't know him. We will forgive like him, we will obey like him and we will share the gospel like Him. This is the flow of any relationship. In our relationship with Christ and in that we just can't help but talk about him and share this freedom with others.

The truth is many good people are going to hell because they don’t know Christ and are living apart from this freedom. What will you do knowing this? Will you be willing to be bold and share?

Will you become the fragrance of Christ in all things and pour out your life as an offering? Will you become the fragrance everywhere you go so that the world will see who Christ is, one encounter at a time.

-Erica

Philippians 2:17