Read 2 Corinthians 2:15-17.
These verses have been so encouraging to me in times of both lack of fruit and in the middle of the harvest. In this line of work, it’s easy to let my identity and mission hinge on my success in the harvest field.
When people accept the gospel, we praise God, send out newsletters, and beam a bit more when we look in the mirror. But when the soil is hard and people shun the good news of Christ, we tend to doubt ourselves and even doubt God, forgetting that His mission to the world is to proclaim His glory through the pursuit of His people. Part of that equation involves people who reject His offer of redemption.
We don’t always understand why this is because we don’t fully comprehend how God—in His infinite goodness and justice—receives glory through judgment. But these verses in 2 Corinthians remind us that no matter the response, we are the aroma of Christ!
When we proclaim the blood of Jesus and it’s met with open arms, that aroma is pleasing to God. And when we proclaim the blood of Jesus and it’s met with hostility, that aroma is pleasing to God. I find this incredibly freeing, encouraging, and motivating because we don’t have to care about the results or let our identities fluctuate based on our harvest. Instead, we get to simply speak Christ among all peoples.
Whether you’re in the middle of a movement of thousands to Christ or you’re banging your head against a wall looking for a single person to follow our Savior, know that you are the aroma of Christ to God. That’s got to make us all beam a little!
Father, it’s a joy to be the aroma for Christ among all people. Thank You for reminding us of that identity today. Amen.
-from a missionary to the Middle East