December 5th

Smelling, not Selling

                  But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads in every place the fragrance that comes from knowing him. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; to the one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things? For we are not peddlers of God’s word like so many; but in Christ we speak as persons of sincerity, as persons sent from God and standing in his presence.

2 Corinthians 2:14-17

             There are so many good things in this passage and I am not sure where to start.

            I think what stands out to me the most is the final sentence.  As we talk with people, we are not salesmen trying to overwhelm them with our flashy words and our tremendous proposal.  We are to be people of sincerity.  We are to be real, not flawless.

            Our sincerity includes the sleepless nights and the frustrating days and the fear that we may be drowning and letting down everyone that we love.

            Our sincerity includes the gentle reassurances that we have received from God.  The growth that we have seen in ourselves and in our children.  The joy that we find in the midst of parenting.

            Our sincerity includes coming face to face with our weakness and finding that God’s strength covers us in all the places that we lack.

            Our sincerity includes recognizing our need for community and how bad we are at building it.  It is being people who do not usually allow ourselves to need things to actually break down and ask for help. 

            Our sincerity is bragging on all the amazing things that we see about our children as well as all the ways that they are complicated.

            Our sincerity is walking in joy and hope and love through the good and the bad and parenting with all that we have to offer.  When we do these things, we change the rooms that we enter.  Paul describes it as a fragrance or the aroma of Christ.  It fills the room.  It transforms the room.  It makes everyone take notice that there is something real happening not too far away.  It is the power of Christ on display for the world to see and it has more power than any televangelist or travelling preacher ever will. 

            That is my hope for this blog....that it is real and it is filled with heartache and questions and hope and pride and insecurity and joy and that it all ends up pointing back to standing in front of Jesus as He speaks life into our hearts and minds.

            All that we can do is tell what we know and report what we have seen and I have seen God’s power and His goodness transform me and transform my family and I have heard Him say that I am not alone and that my child is not a mistake.

            May that reality sink deeply into all of us.

A moment to reflect:

How can you be real and sincere about what this parenting journey has been like for you?