Okay, I’ve been using this deodorant recently and it smells just terrible. To be completely honest, it may be better to refrain from using it at all–pointless… until it got me thinking.
So I did some research. My question was simple: “Why do we even wear deodorant?”
I mean, for thousands of years, people just tolerated smelling bad. In fact, people didn’t even address the issue of smelly underarms seriously until 1888. 1888!That’s insane! Like, what were we thinking?!
To be fair, the ancient Greeks and Romans, and even some Egyptians used aromatic oils to perfume tons of things, but this was mainly a privilege for those who could afford it.
What I’m getting at is this:
Only recently have people began to see deodorant as a necessity. Being a certain degree of unnoticeable is seen as a pleasant character trait actually.
Standing out, most of the time, can mean standing out alone. And that is usually pretty undesired state–especially amongst other people.
So what if our underarms smell like Jesus?
2 Corinthians 2:15-16: For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life.
Well, if you are a Christ follower, then it should be painfully obvious.
We should REEK of Jesus. So why don’t we? Perhaps we’ve been wearing some deodorant. Maybe we aren’t emitting Christ’s scent because wearing our crappy deodorant is what’s socially acceptable.
Here’s my theory–I don’t smell like God’s love most of the time because I’d rather smell like something cool–something that could alter in a moment’s notice–something to balance“fitting in” and “standing out.”
Know what though?!
Christians don’t fit in.
So what does this mean?
This means being a Christ follower, most of the time, feels pretty lonely, embarrassing, and, frankly, pretty undesirable.
John 15:19 says this: If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.
Romans 12:2 says this: Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
I would encourage you to read up on the context in which these verses were written, and not just the surrounding scripture–research the audience, the purpose, the zeitgeist.
Last thing I promise
If you have the choice (which you do), maybe forget to wear deodorant for a day. It could alter someone’s eternity.
