Sweet the Smell

One thing I love about Mr. Bill is his attention to personal hygiene -- that’s why I couldn’t quite place the odor several nights ago when he came to bed.  As it grew stronger I finally just had to ask, “What is that smell?”  I couldn’t believe it when he said he didn’t smell anything!

 

Have you noticed how slow we are to see our own faults?  Several days later we discovered the source of the foul odor: Mr. Bill had accidentally spilled homemade hog mash (aka fermented corn) onto some clothing that didn’t make it to the washer fast enough!  As rank rank as it was, he couldn’t smell it because he had grown accustomed to the smell.  This is exactly how subtlety sin comes to our lives, much like the flea that hitches a ride into the house on a pants leg then before long we’re calling the exterminator about an infestation.  Above all else, our holiness matters to God; “For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness.” (1 Thessalonians 4:7).  In the pursuit for personal purity, we will be confronted with indwelt sin – the subtle and not-so-subtle.  In case you’ve never spelled it before, hog mash is not a “subtle” odor – it packs a punch!  As tough as it may be, confronting personal sin is necessary to becoming holy as God is holy.  Oh, but how delightfully sweet the smell!