“For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life” (2 Corinthians 2:15-16).

You smell.

Either an aroma of Christ that brings life, or a stench of death to those who are perishing.

Your smell is either an aroma of Christ or your smell is the stink of death.

There are two main ways we can stink and give off the stench of death.

• When what we profess to believe and how we practice our faith are inconsistent, we stink.
  • Instead of drawing people to the reality of Christ, we repel others from Christ because our lives bear little resemblance to Jesus.
  • You don’t have to say a word; our lives are the proof.
  • When what we believe and how we live are inconsistent, we stink.
• The second way that we can stink is when we compromise, water down, and present a Jesus of our imaginings instead of presenting the Jesus of scripture.
  • The Jesus of our imaginings is all about mercy, grace, and love. That is fine. That who Jesus is. But he is also a God of holiness, righteousness, and justice.
  • When we omit God’s call to holiness, righteousness, and justice because such a God is less palatable to our friends, we bear false witness. We stink. Such a Christ cannot save.
  • A compromised, watered-down presentation may win you friends, but it will not lead people to Jesus. Such a compromised, watered-down presentation of Christ is a lie. And it stinks.

There are two main ways we become the aroma of Christ.

• When our confession and profession is consistent with our practice and life, we give off the aroma of Christ.
  • It’s not that we live perfect lives. That’s impossible. But people can see a difference, they can smell a difference. Christ is present because he is present in us.
  • Others can smell the difference between those who make life about God’s glory and the care of God’s people. Such a life smells so different because our world is all about individual and self-care. When people come in contact with someone who genuinely cares and loves God and others, they cannot help but smell the difference.
• When the Christ we present to others is the Christ of scripture.
  • It’s not our job to make Jesus more presentable. It’s our job to faithfully present Jesus to others. It’s up to God and the Holy Spirit to convert. We are not responsible for converting others. We are responsible for faithfully presenting Christ.

You smell, Little Church and Lakewoodgrace. Let’s make sure we smell like the aroma of Christ.

Do you have a life mission statement?

Every healthy organization has a clear mission statement. It declares who they are, defines what they do, and articulates who they aspire to be.

The mission statement for the Little Church and Lakewoodgrace is “Make New Disciples and Grow Faithful Disciples who share the Love of Jesus with All people.”

That’s what we do. We evaluate everything we do as a congregation based on this metric.

Our lives should be the same. You should have a framework by which you strive to live your day.

Here is my life mission statement: I seek to glorify God as a husband, father, and pastor.

• First and foremost, it’s all about glorifying God. I desire to manifest God’s glory in and through my life.
• That happens most clearly as Helen’s husband. It doesn’t matter if the ministry is going well and I am failing as a husband. Such a life cannot glorify God. My first priority is to glorify God as Helen’s husband because that’s my most primary calling.
• Secondly, it’s to glorify God as my children’s dad. I seek to glorify God as a dad my kids can respect and honor.
• Third, I want my life to glorify God as the pastor to the Little Church and Lakewoodgrace.

The way this life mission statement works is, when I am considering to do something or pondering a decision, I ask:

• Does this glorify God as Helen’s husband?
• Does this glorify God as a father to Karis, Kaitlin, Kailey, and Kaleb?
• Does this glorify God as a pastor at the Little Church and Lakewoodgrace?

If the answer is yes, I do it.

If the answer is no, I don’t do it.

Well. That’s the theory. I don’t always succeed. I still do stupid things sometimes. But the point is, that the life mission statement gives clarity to what I aspire and desire my life to be.

Do you have a life mission statement? I encourage you to take some time to pray and think about writing your own mission statement. It will give greater clarity to how you can make the decisions today that impact where you aspire to be in the future.

“The LORD watches over the foreigner and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked” (Psalm 146:9).

Today’s verse makes me nervous and uncomfortable. Our passage asserts several things:

• The LORD watches over the foreigner
• The LORD sustains the fatherless and the widow
• The LORD frustrates the ways of the wicked

The reason why I find our verse uncomfortable is because I see plenty of evidence of the contrary all around me.

• Foreigners are having a hard time. Hate crimes against Asians in the US have increased exponentially
• The financial burden of the Covid pandemic is being borne by the poor. The fatherless and the widows are not being sustained. Many are struggling to make ends meet
• The ways of the wicked are not frustrated. In fact, the wicked and the ungodly seem to be winning the day

What are we supposed to do with all of this?

There are two things we need to keep in mind:

1. Perspective matters
2. Suffering is not a problem to be solved but a condition to be mourned

Perspective matters

• The issue for us is that we see only what is right before us. It is true that there are many who are having a difficult time. But it is also true that there are many who are being upheld and supported by God through good people. There is good happening all around us
• If we were to take a snapshot of a woman in the pangs of birth, that snapshot would never give the overall perspective of how much joy there is in the birth and the life of a child. In fact, that snapshot would be the opposite of how precious and wonderful the birth of a child is
• We see in snapshots. God sees in eternally. God’s promises are true. God will judge. God will sustain. And thank goodness for that. Evil should be punished and vanquished. And it will be. In time. In eternity.
• Perspective matters

Suffering is not a problem to be solved but a condition to be mourned

• Suffering is as much part of human existence as joy and happiness are
• As long as there is free will, human beings will do atrocious things. And as long as human beings are sinners, suffering will be a part of human existence
• That sin has so marred God’s world is to be mourned and lamented
• God has overcome sin and darkness of the cross. And when Christ returns evil will be judged and vanquished
• Until that time, we live in a world where suffering is as much a part of human existence as joy and happiness
• This is what it means to be human

The psalmist is able to affirm “The LORD watches over the foreigner and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked” because the psalmist sees the world through the lens of faith instead of taking snapshots. This is the perspective of faith.

Are you going through a tough time? Mourn. Lament. And have faith that God is at work.

Life is good for you right now? Thank God. Thank God for his goodness. And have faith that God is at work.