Have you ever driven behind a garbage truck and caught a whiff of what’s inside? How about on a hot, summer day while your windows are open?! Pretty gross, huh? I have been blessed with a heightened sense of smell. Sometimes, that’s a good thing. And other times, not so much.

If sin had a scent, don’t you think it would be pretty awful? It would be the most horrible, rotting smell imaginable … like death. A smell that would leave such a lasting impression that we wouldn’t ever want to revisit it.

Now, imagine if there was a distinct smell that would help us stay on the straight and narrow path? I have no doubt that it would smell of the most wonderful things! Smells that have amazing memories attached to them … bread baking, your grandmother’s cookies, cinnamon rolls, flowers, fresh linen … the scent of a newborn baby’s skin … you catch my drift. Those are all smells we can’t get enough of!

The thing about smells is that, after a while, you get used to them — even bad ones. I think the scent of sin can be compared to a type of worldwide pollution, and if we aren’t careful, then we may not smell it anymore. The worldlier we become, the less we’re able to smell it.

I believe that the closer we get to God, the stronger the scent of evil will become, and that can help navigate us to return to the right path. If it stinks, then it’s the evil one’s garbage! Stay away!

“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” Romans 12:2

This article has undergone ministry review and approval.