Written by: Lemuel Teo (Photo by: Ronald Lim)

Sniffing out the connection between our testimonies and our smell

Do you like the smell of rain? I love the distinct smell of droplets kissing the warm asphalt. I still vividly remember the first time it rained on our sunny island after a prolonged dry spell; it was such a comforting moment I even recorded it down: 16th March 2014, Sunday. When I finally got to encounter the familiar waft of rain after being deprived for almost two months, I almost cried tears of unspeakable joy.

Our sense of smell is intimately connected to our emotional memory. Certain smells are seared so deeply into your mind that a mere whiff of it triggers a string of events and emotions you thought you had long forgotten. That bouquet of roses your boyfriend gave you; the brewing of traditional coffee powder at your favourite kopitiam; that perfume an ex always used.

An unmistakable smell for me is my mom’s perfect concoction of chicken and cabbage soup. It is infused with a special ingredient — sesame oil — which adds a burst of flavour that has now come to represent home to me. This smell is especially wonderful after a demanding week spent on campus. It has come to take a special place in the shelter of my memory, never failing to leave my heart warm like hands above the fireplace.

Did you know that our smell is intrinsically linked with our Christian walk? Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 2, “But thank God! He has made us his captives and continues to lead us along in Christ’s triumphal procession. Now he uses us to spread the knowledge of Christ everywhere, like a sweet perfume. Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God.”

God uses us as diffusers of His sweet fragrance, conceived in the unwavering hope that our lives will give off a Christ-like aroma. In the preceding verse, Paul describes us following Christ in a victory parade. As we, a people, choose to march behind Him in His triumphal procession, He graces us with a fragrance. Jesus lavishes such sweet-smelling oil upon us, abundant as flowers in springtime. There is a great joy that blooms from a captivated and enraptured love. We carry His fragrance, emanating an olfactory reminder of His goodness to those around.

I have an incredibly sensitive nose, which means that I am keenly aware of all kinds of scents that I encounter on a daily basis. Something I have picked up on recently is the use of smell-scaping (landscaping through scents) in shopping malls around Singapore. They release a unique scent such that when you are in or near the building, you would smell it, and people will begin to associate the scent with the particular shopping mall. Think about it… Have you ever noticed that while you are tapping out from the Orchard MRT station you would have already smelled Ion Orchard? Or walked into I12 Katong and immediately recognising that distinctive smell? This is smell-scaping in action.

Noticing the smells from these shopping malls caused me to reflect on the verse in 2 Corinthians 2. It made me wonder whether I have given ample space in my life for God to use me in spreading the knowledge of Christ everywhere I go. I began to ask myself: Does my testimony smell good? Do I actually smell like Christ? If I don’t, how can I begin to smell just like Him?

I believe the answer is two-fold: (i) follow Christ, and (ii) raise up a Christ-like fragrance towards Him.

Following Christ

Christ’s leading of a victory parade speaks about his triumph over sin and death. His making the way for us is an invitation to keep in step with Him in our daily lives. I believe this means not allowing ourselves to give in to the cravings of our sinful nature. Instead, we could yield easily to the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

During my National Service (NS) days, I was given the privilege of taking charge of about 30 men. It was an appointment that bore a heavy responsibility. With this influence, a conviction arose to be the best representation of Christ to my fellow soldiers. As important decisions lay before me, I consulted the Holy Spirit before making them. Exercising grace was also one of my priorities. There were moments of failure, as I would give in to anger or frustration, causing an acute disappointment to well up in me; other times I managed to listen intently to His gracious promptings. As my NS term was drawing to a close (read: ORD), a Christian brother and fellow company-mate wrote to me a short note: “Thanks for encouraging me in my Christian walk, you have been an inspiration. I can see Christ in you.” I still marvel at how encouraged I felt when I read the note on that day!

As we commune with the Holy Spirit, the fruit of the Spirit shall manifest evidently in our lives, embodying the character of Christ in our speech and conduct. As we imitate Him, may people notice the mark of Christ in us.

Raising up a Christ-like fragrance towards Him

Let us set up an altar of incense in our hearts and maintain it intentionally. Exodus 30:8 declares that the burning of incense on the altar should be a “perpetual incense before the LORD throughout your generations.” This unceasing aroma that rises up to God is a reflection of the posture of our hearts towards Him. I find it crucial to check myself from time to time: Is what I am doing pleasing to Him? How am I honouring God through what I do? Sometimes, I would whisper a quick “I love you, Jesus!” just to remind myself of His tangible presence in my life. These questions assist me in raising up a steady, sweet fragrance of worship towards God.

As carriers of this fragrance, we embody Jesus to those who have not encountered Him yet. “But this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved and by those who are perishing” (2 Corinthians 2:16). The gospel of Jesus Christ could smell heavenly to some, yet be perceived as a stench to others. Jesus is, after all, not well-liked by all. This is exemplified by the verse: “Blessed is he who is not offended because of Me” (Matthew 11:6). The gospel is loaded with a sting, especially to those who refuse to turn away from an old way of living. While the Holy Spirit is the one that convicts man of sin, we could partner with Him in emitting the fragrance of Christ through the powerful testimonies of our lives, drawing others abreast to Him.

The gospel of the Kingdom is advancing with greater intensity all over the world today (Matthew 24:14). God is beseeching us to participate in pulling people out of the fire (Jude 1:23) and into the Kingdom. We can choose to be scented sticks that spread the knowledge of Christ in every room we enter or cap-opened perfume bottles that release an unmistakable Jesus scent. It is therefore crucial that we smell like Him in every interaction we have with others.

May our testimonies of God’s goodness unearth parched hearts to the rain of God. May His divine rain pour down upon them and bring about such a relief — immeasurably more than the comfort I felt on that Sunday of 16th March.