The sense of smell is the most evocative of the sense in regard to memory. It is one I often use as a trigger of memories in creative writing workshops. More importantly though, whenever I go to teach a Sunday school or SRE – special religious education class I always make sure I put on a nice perfume, usually Dewberry or Ananya.
Why do this when teaching? Because I want everything about children learning about Jesus to be a pleasurable experience. I’ve had more than one child tell me ‘you smell nice.’
It’s only a little thing but I consider it’s important, because I always want children always to associate learning about Jesus and God’s Word with pleasant experiences.
Of course it goes much deeper than just wearing a nice perfume. Our whole manner and words need to be pleasing and encouraging.
2 Corinthians 2:14 says, ‘thanks be to God, who always leads us in His triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place.’
Ephesians 5:2 reminds us to ‘walk in love, just as Christ loved you, and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.’ Since we are called to follow Christ and to be like Him, then our words, behavior, attitudes and actions all need to be pleasing to God.
In times past, people often used perfumes to cover up the fact they at they had not washed. Putting on perfume is not enough though, if the rest of me is unclean. It might do a cover up job for a little while but it won’t last.
Each of us need to be sure we are clean before God, our sins confessed and dealt with before Him. Then our words and actions will be pleasing and then we will be able to be ‘a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved, and among those who are perishing, to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life.’ 2 Corinthians 2:15-16.
Bible verses from The New American Standard Version
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