Diffusing the Aroma of Christ
Most of you have heard of “essential oils.” These oils are compounds that are derived or extracted from plants, especially herbs, and then they’re mixed with a carrier oil to make them usable. Essential oils are used in aromatherapy or applied topically to the skin. While there are some outlandish claims about what essential oils can do for you, there clearly are some positive physiological effects.
One way to use these oils is to have a diffuser. While diffusers work in different ways, the goal is the same; to spread the aroma of the oil into the air where it can be inhaled. The National Institutes of Health reports that “Inhaling the aromas from essential oils can stimulate areas of your limbic system, which is a part of your brain that plays a role in emotions, behaviors, sense of smell, and long-term memory.” The limbic system also plays a role in controlling several unconscious physiological functions, like breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure.
What would you think if I told you that the Scriptures talk about you and me as followers of Christ being diffusers of His fragrance or aroma? Not sure? Well, they do. And that’s what we want to explore in our study today, “Diffusing the Aroma of Christ.” Our text is Second Corinthians 2:12 to 17. Listen to these words of Holy Scripture.
This portion of Scripture reveals to us the SETTINGS in which we’re called to diffuse the aroma of Christ.
The First SETTING (in which we diffuse the aroma of Christ) is,
In Anxious Expectation
One thing we know about the apostle Paul is that he was “all in” for Jesus. In his service for Christ, there was no hardship or struggle he was unwilling to endure, even to the point of death. We also know that he cared deeply for the brothers and sisters in the church at Corinth. But he was human, and like us, he got tired, annoyed, frustrated, and discouraged.
We find him in the opening verses of our text in an almost disabling state of anxiety. Here he is in Troas with an open door of ministry in front of him. This was a door that, according to Acts 16, had previously been closed to him. You would think he would be overjoyed at the opportunity to walk through that door, but he wasn’t. We know he entered that open door and began to work, but he was so overcome by his anxiety about what was happening in Corinth, that he left for Macedonia in search of Titus.
I’m blessed by how the Scriptures show us the humanity of biblical characters. We can learn from their successes and their failures. We tend to think of the apostle Paul as super-spiritual, perhaps even superhuman, but that’s not accurate. James says of the prophet Elijah, “he was a man with a nature just like ours…” Those same words apply to Paul. And in this case, he allowed his anxiety to get the best of him. It may have robbed him of a more effective ministry opportunity in Troas. And we’ll learn shortly that his anxiety was rea...
