I used to drive past this factory quite often. From the outside, it looked like a usual grey industrial building, nothing eye-catching or appealing. The company name was on top of the building, but it was the smell that seeped out of the property into the surrounding community that confirmed what they were making inside. If you drove past, at just the right time, there was a delightful aroma of freshly made cookies.
We may think we have our lives together; we could say that we are a Christian, we could be doing our best to “walk the walk”, perhaps “talk the talk”. We could go to church a few times during the week, and we could be seen by others as “right living”, or a “do-gooder”, thinking we are ticking all the right boxes, but what aroma or what fragrance are we giving off among our families, communities and throughout this land?
We read in Galatians 5:22-23 “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. There is no law against these things!”
I admit that I have a sweet tooth, and I’m always enticed by a good bargain, so when I was in the local supermarket the other day and they gave away free doughnuts, I couldn’t refuse! Like the offer of the free doughnuts, we as believers have been given the opportunity and have received the free gift of salvation. Yet, we need to consume to experience the sweetness of the Holy Spirit living inside of us, every minute, of every hour, of every day. As the Holy Spirit continually produces and ripens the fruit in our lives, we should be giving off the life-giving, irresistible, sweet appealing aroma to those we interact with throughout our day.
As believers wherever we live or travel throughout Ireland, we can be assured that when we are in regular, intimate connection with God that the sweet presence of the Holy Spirit goes with us, making Christ known to the broken and hurting. With the Holy Spirit living inside of us and leading us, we can make a life-giving, eternal difference in the lives of those around us. May the words of this chorus be the aroma that is left throughout Ireland:
There’s a sweet, sweet Spirit in this place
And I know that it’s the Spirit of the Lord
There are sweet expressions on each face
And I know you feel the presence of the Lord
Sweet Holy Spirit, sweet heavenly Dove
Stay right here with us, filling us with Your love
And for these blessings, we lift our hearts in praise
Without a doubt we’ll know that we have been revived
When we shall leave this place
Doris Akers 1962
Father in heaven, help us all to simply taste and see that You are good and to live in the fullness of Your Holy Spirit, Amen.