Did I need forget my deodorant? Did I step in something? I know I brushed my teeth! What is that awful smell? Who else notices?
We are always concerned about our personal hygiene. However the real problem is we actually wallow in the unhygienic. We have become comfortable with and actually brag about awful smells.
The apostle Paul declared that all of his accomplishments and acquisitions were just dung. That is also known as, doo doo, poop, feces, and…., well you got the picture.
The problem with this smell is we not only ignore it but we brag about it. We brag about things that bring glory to us, make us look good. The big car, house, closets, bank accounts and a host of collectibles. We collect these piles and compare our piles with the piles of other people. Is it as big, warm, fresh or solid? Who has the best pile?
God takes notice and He smells it too.
All of these things have no eternal significance. None of these things draw people to the God we claim. In fact, our piles distract from His glory. We claim this pile of dung helps us proclaim Jesus. We deceive ourselves that people will see how much our God has given us and want to know Him as we do. This is a smelly deception.
The worst part is that we want to lift up our hands in praise and worship. But as we do so, God smells what is in our hands, under our arms, from our mouths.
God sees the piles.
I allow myself to be deceived, claiming that God’s rewards are tangible and pleasurable things. To some degree that is true. But when my focus is on the tangible and pleasurable, I have become a dung collector.
I ask God to cleanse me from this awful smell. I ask God to make me a sweet aroma.
Everywhere we go, people breathe in the exquisite fragrance. Because of Christ, we give off a sweet scent rising to God, which is recognized by those on the way of salvation—an aroma redolent with life.
But those on the way to destruction treat us more like the stench from a rotting corpse.
2 Corinthians 2:14-16 MSG
Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
Philippians 3:8 KJV