Jesus Stinks (and you should, too)

I was reading in 2 Corinthians the other day about how Christians are supposed to be the "aroma" of Jesus. Chapter two, verse 14 says, "But thanks be to God, who...uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere."

At first, "aroma" seemed like a strange word to use. We're supposed to make others smell who Jesus is? Really? Helping people see Jesus and feel Jesus and hear Jesus makes perfect sense...but providing a way for our friends and neighbors to smell Jesus doesn't seem to quite fit.

That is until I really started thinking about the power of smell...

• Aromas draw you in from afar, they don't demand anything. (Think about the smell of Cinnabon at the mall.)
• Aromas remind you of specific times and places. (Like camp or Fall or your best friend's house.)
• Aromas make you hungry. (Maybe fresh bread or grilled steak or homemade cookies.)
• Aromas get noticed even when you're not looking or listening for them. (Perhaps the perfume of someone passing by or the smell of rain right before a thunderstorm.)

With those things in mind, I have an entirely new outlook on what being the "aroma of Christ" really means. Truly living that concept out requires that my words, my actions, and my very countenance will:

• Draw people to Jesus, not demand it.
• Remind others of who Christ is.
• Cause a hunger for him.
• And, surprise those who aren't even looking for Jesus in the first place.

Oh, the other thing it's important to understand about smell...

• Aromas wear off eventually. (Spend time in the car of a smoker and you'll smell like smoke, but you won't smell like that forever.) 

Meaning, as Christians, we must remember that regular contact with Jesus is what makes us smell like him in the first place.

The Perfect Vacation in 24 Easy Steps

Earlier this week, in just over 24 hours, my kids taught me 24 things it takes to make the perfect vacation. Though we weren't gone long, we didn't go far, and we couldn't spend much...we had a ton of fun and we made a ton of memories. So, whether your three and four like my two boys or 34 like me...here are 24 easy, inexpensive steps for the perfect family getaway.

1. Drive somewhere.
2. Count tractors or cows or license plates on the way.
3. Take a nap.
4. Get lost (at least once).
5. Start with dessert.
6. Ride rides at the mall.
7. Use the hotel pool.
8. Eat your favorite food for every meal.
9. Don't wait 30 minutes.
10. Use the hotel pool again.
11. Watch every airplane that flies over.
12. Make up stories about where the planes came from and where they are going.
13. Talk to a stranger.
14. Make a new friend.
15. Be the last to leave the pool at night.
16. Make at least one trip to the vending machines.
17. Stay up way past your bedtime.
18. Sleep in a giant bed.
19. Be the first to get in the pool in the morning.
20. Take embarrassing pictures.
21. Don't delete them.
22. Pay too much for a souvenir.
23. Sweat, at least a little.
24. Take another nap.

Give these a shot yourself. They work. Trust me.

Believing in a Facebook God

Like it or not, we're living in a Facebook world. Hundreds of millions of people use the social network to keep up with family and friends, follow their favorite brands and celebrities, and share their photos and videos with the world.

Over the years, Mark Zuckerberg and the Facebook team have instituted a series of privacy controls that allow users to protect themselves and their information. One of these changes allows you to follow a person or an organization without allowing that person or organization to follow you back. You get to learn about them, but they don't get to learn anything about you.

Another Facebook privacy control makes it possible to only show certain posts to certain people. So, the pictures of the party you just went to can be seen by your friends but not your parents...and the post about how you hate your job can be seen by your parents but not your boss.

I have found myself wondering recently whether I might be following a Facebook God, rather than following the God of the Universe. I wonder how often I'm content to know about God - to periodically get his status updates on my wall (so to speak) - but never apply what he says to my life and never give him the opportunity to truly know me either.

In our small group, we're studying the book of Acts. The other night we summed-up the passage we were reading this way: Christians see salvation as the finish line. Disciples see salvation as the start. In the context of the Facebook analogy you might say, "Christians see clicking 'like' as the finish line. Disciples see clicking 'like' as the start."

Psalm 139 reminds us that a relationship with Christ is just that, a relationship. It's a two-way street. We must know and be known. In verses 23 and 24 David says, "Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." David was willing to be known. To be vulnerable. To be led by a God whom he trusted with everything - even the yucky stuff.

Christianity isn't meant to have privacy controls. In fact, it can't have privacy controls. It's impossible to become who Jesus is while refusing to acknowledge who we are.

Stolen Smells

I was watching a show on PBS with my two boys recently which told the story of Bijoy, a young Indian boy who was taken to court for standing outside a bakery and enjoying the smells without paying for them. The greedy store owner wanted compensation. After all, the delicious aromas were coming from her shop.

Well, I nearly yelled at the television when the judge unexpectedly agreed with the woman's premise. In fact, had my three and four year old not been sitting with me at the time, I might have. How in the world could anybody, especially a judge, so completely miss the boat?!

As my boys and I watched the end of the show, we got our answer. As the judge took a handful of coins from a dejected Bijoy, she tossed them up in the air and said to the store owner, "In payment for the smells of your sweets, you will receive the sound of money." Then the judge handed the coins back to the young boy.

From the very beginning the judge had the ending all worked out. But, in the middle, there were a lot of confused and angry people. Including me. It appeared evil had won and good had been defeated. It appeared as if justice would not prevail. It appeared as if the judge was not doing her job very well.

Have you ever wondered the same thing about God? I have. Perhaps you're in the middle of bankruptcy, cancer, or divorce and you're asking, "How in the world could anybody, especially the God of the Universe, so completely miss the boat?!" From where you're standing, it may even seem as if God is not doing his job very well.

But that's far from the truth. Psalm 37:5-6 says, "Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun." Commitment and trust now - during the confusion and anger - lead to reward and vindication later.

Your "show" isn't over. Your story isn't finished. And even though you may want to yell at the television (so to speak), take comfort in the promise of Psalm 37: God already has the ending worked out.