We All Can't Wear Cologne

​WE ALL CAN'T WEAR COLOGNE

​Philippians 2:14-16 KJV
[14] Do all things without murmurings and disputings: [15] That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; [16] Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.

This morning, I got on the elevator at our hotel and someone was on there, but nobody was there. What I mean is that that the elevator was empty but it was full of smell. The scent was so strong that it took me five floors down to figure out if it was air freshener being pumped into the vent or someone's cologne. It was too masculine to be from housekeeping so I sided with cologne. By the time I got to the breakfast area, the mystery was solved. I saw a lady well dressed waiting by the door and a gentleman equally dapper by the biscuits. His face and name will remain unknown because I saw neither, but his cologne I will never forget. I don't know if it was frankincense or myrrh, but it was a very deep and rich sweet herbal scent. Honestly, it smelled good. But it was just so much of it that if I breathed too deeply, I could taste it!

As I grabbed some Cheerios and headed to the ventilator; check that, elevator, a thought occured to me - what if we ALL wore that much cologone? Not even the same perfume or cologne, but just that much of it? The competing odors, expensive and delightful as they might be in their bottles, would have us fainting all over the place gasping for air that was simply...clear. Clean.

Putting on a scent can easily go from well intended to overwhelming. There is that line that can be crossed from wanting to make a good impression, to wanting everyone on the ground floor floor to know I'm up in here! Purity to pride is not a bridge too far thanks to our selfish natures. Hence we live "...in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation..."

This is not an anti-cologne post! Did you know that you and I are like perfume when we accept God's grace through Christ?

2 CORINTHIANS 2:15 KJV
For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish:

Being good smells good! But when we take that gifted goodness and make it our own goodness or by calling attention to it, it changes. When we strive to put ourselves out there rather than lift others above ourselves, that excess creates an imbalance that actually makes others turn off. It's as if we all lathered up and hit the town like the gentleman today. This clashing of competing colognes creates an aromatic Babylon that eventually makes us all run away gasping rather than growing together!

So what can be just as meaningful as a pint of perfume? How about just smelling, clean. Not smelling bad, but just not smelling at all. Being that clear air or that fresh air we long for when we want to escape both the stench and the excess. That neutral smell is like being blameless. Doing "all things without murmurings and disputings..." Nothing great, but nothing bad either. No frills and no fault.

Paul encouraged the Phillipians this way to "Do all things without murmurings and disputings: That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke..." There is a beauty in being faithful that is more powerful than being first. Smelling "out there" for all versus just smelling clean - to the point of not smelling at all as far as the world is concerned. We all can't be chairman of the board or on the board, but we all can do our jobs well. We all can't shout on the bullhorn out front, but we can all do right when nobody is looking.

Of the simple blameless ones it is said that "...ye shine as lights in the world; Holding forth the word of life..." I'd rather be blameless than bold. I'd rather be clean than beautiful. The only way to smell clean is to be clean. And all we have to do to be clean is to be in Christ! Accept Jesus today, and God will see and smell you as His sweetest scent.