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Have you ever met one?

5/17/2017

Some scents are unforgettable.
They give us a feeling of
relaxation and make us feel
so feminine .

But there is one scent
that you simply must
have...it will make
you smell a "certain" way.

Read on and be sure that you have that scent.

Women who are close friends of mine, will be quick to tell you that I am an "oil lady." Yes, since 1997, I have been totally absorbed in using my essential oils for health and well-being. I love making my own fragrant soaps, creams and sprays since I understand that they possess many therapeutic and preventative qualities.
I go to great lengths to dry my own herbs and rose petals, as well as grind orange rinds down to a fine powder for my skin loving creams.
Why? I love their fragrance, how the essential oils make me feel and the health benefits that comes with their use. I have experienced how they often protect me from germs that can harm me. But as much as I see the importance of their use, there is another fragrance that is the One I desire most.

What kind of "smell" should a woman of faith have?

Sounds peculiar does it not? A certain smell that women of faith should have does seem to be a bit far fetched. But it is not a fragrance that you can smell such as a gardenia bloom, dried rose petals or a handful of fresh cut lavender.
Imagine if you will, your life as if it were a fragrance.
What if your fragrance attracted people to come to know God?
In 2 Corinthians 2:15, we read: "We are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.”

Our fragrance is pleasing to God, and it has the ability to attract others to Him. But we also can emit a fragrance that can repel them. If we have come to know Christ as Savior, we have been cleansed and made new; and Christ now lives within us. We now have the opportunity to be the “fragrance of Christ”— a servant of Christ who is ready to reach out to others in His likeness. Oh this sweet fragrance of His likeness can be an irresistible pull toward the Savior!

But...what about those "stinky" women?

Sadly they are there. They may even be in our church sitting next to us in worship. They may be at our women's prayer meeting or in the workplace. She is the woman who claims to be a woman of faith but has no "fragrance" or inward sisterly desire. It is disappointing to see a woman who is walking and talking like a woman of faith, yet has no desire to reach out to others in His likeness.

I can tell you from personal experience of one such example.
While seeking a new church family in a new town, my husband and I visited one church a few times that invited me to attend a Ladies Tea that the women's ministry was having. As I sat and conversed with women at my table, I noticed a young woman about 25 years old at the next table whom no one was speaking with. She also was visiting and did not know anyone at the tea. After excusing myself, I went over and talked a bit with her. She delighted us with a song and her voice was ever so sweet!

About a week later, while speaking with the wife of the pastor, I commented that it was a real blessing to hear this young woman sing, and that I hoped she would visit again so I could get to know her; for I could sense she was a new believer. To my surprise the words that came next were shocking to me.

I was told that several ladies at the tea did not like that this young woman was dressed in tight pants and they also did not like her contemporary version of the song she sang. Startled by what I was hearing, I felt even more urgency to make contact with this young woman. I did call her and tell her what a blessing she was to me that day and invited her back to church. Needless to say, she never visited that church again. Oh, and my husband and I too knew that this was not the church for us.

That situation just broke my heart.
For this was a young woman who was a babe in Christ, growing in her walk as a woman of faith and desiring to honor Him with her voice.
Unfortunately she experienced some foul scents at the ladies tea. I pray that the negativity she experienced did not hinder her walk and growth.
I pray that she did find a genuine church family with ladies who desired to be Titus 2 women to her.

Have you ever heard of a stink bug? The stink bug earned its name from its tendency to release an odor when disturbed - which reminds me of those particular ladies at that tea. They wanted this young woman to live up to their desires and expectations. It they were disturbed by something, they gave off a foul odor. They were far from being Titus 2 women with a fragrant scent.

Just recently, a women told me that she does not attend church any longer since the women she met there are just hypocrites. Well, if Christianity is really supposed to change people, then why do some who profess to believe in Jesus set such bad examples?

Well all I can say is that "standing in a garage does not make you a car!" There will be false christians to be found in many churches. But most ARE genuine. There are countless examples in the history of the Christian church that tells of selflessness, courage, sacrifice moral action and many other positive influences on the world. These are not the acts of hypocrites, but of genuine believers who were genuinely transformed by the saving grace of Christ and moved by the Holy Spirit to "do to others what you would have them do to you" (Matthew 7:12; Luke 6:31).

Ephesians 5:1-2 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.

My dear friends, I felt a bit awkward in using the term "stinky" and hope this post does not offend anyone. We all will encounter some stinky women along the way and concerning this circumstance there are "2" things I pray for:

I pray for the heart and mind of that so-called christian woman who does not have the fragrances of Christ. May she come to truly know Christ and understand that her life is not about self, but about Christ.
I pray for the woman whose heart and spirit has been hurt by these stinky women. May they be placed on the path of true women of faith who will love, guide and encourage her in her new walk in faith.

Over the years, it has been such a blessing to meet online sister's in Christ who have a fragrance that I can sense. Yes, I can sense. I have never met them face to face, but we know each other heart to heart. We are so like-minded in our faith and desire to be Christ to a world that is sinking in sin. We are willing to extend our hand to women who are sinking in sin, doubt, fear, depression and illness. There are SO many blessings to be found when we are wearing the "fragrance of Christ!"