"Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place."   { 2 Corinthians 2:14}

If you are anything like me, you love fragrances. This time of year, what I smell in the air can make me hungry. I go to a local Farmer's Market and everytime I walk past the apples, the sweetest, deep aroma beckons me to come closer. When I get the apples home, there isn't the same deep smell, and when I take one to eat, it only has a slight fragrance. I wonder if this is the same when Christians are together? Do we give off a deeper scent when we are all together, or are we just a group of people gathering under the same beliefs? Does our worship lift up a sweet aroma to God's presence, or are we just like any other group that sings together?

I choose to believe that our praise is a sweeter aroma when we worship together. This has to do with faith, because we know that faith builds our ability to believe God and His word. As believers gather in one accord, we rub off on one another, because our hearts come with expectation when we meet at church or other events when christians gather. Certain aromas can trigger memories, and feelings from our past. I was at a special event recently and I wore my favorite perfume, that I have had for many years. A very close friend said to me, "Oh I love that fragrance, and they don't make it anymore."She had given it to me, and it brought back memories about our friendship. We shared a special moment of how precious we are to each other.

"For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing."{ 2 Corinthians 2:15} Do we smell different? Not really in the fragrance sense, but there is something about us, that others want. We have a spiritual way about us, that draws other people to us, and many want what we have. Have you ever been told by a person that there is something different about you, but they are not quite sure what it is? This is what the Apostle Paul is referencing to in this verse. It is a sense of well-being , not a scent that we delight in with our nose. It can also be referred to as a confidence, a completeness that beckons others to wonder about what do we have, that I don't have.

When I got saved, I immediately had a sense of being different. I couldn't really say why, except that I felt joy like never before. I thought to myself, "this is awesome, but will it last? It did, although through many ups and downs it wanned a bit. I'm not saying that emotions have to be present when we dedicate ourselves to Christ, but I am saying that we do change, maybe a little quicker at first, and then over time, our fragrance becomes stronger, like the many apples in the box. I have to end here, and eat one of those apples.