The Smell Tells

I just got my first issue of Consumer Reports ShopSmart magazine. In the “Back in the Day” section there was a very interesting story that took place in 1941.

Now many of us won’t have a memory that goes that far back, but the point of the story is still relevant today. That point is that odor or smells can attract us or repel us. This applies to food, perfumes, colognes, clothing, and even people. Smell counts for a lot in life.

In the article, we learn about a marketing war between Ivory Soap and a new competitor, at the time, called Swan. It was the battle of the floating soaps.

When tested in a laboratory both soaps were equal as far as purity, sudsing, texture, and price. Both soaps floated too. Those of us who take tub baths know how important floatability is. So what made the difference with consumers? Swan stank. Even though its marketing slogan was that Swan was “fresh as a daisy,” it actually smelled like citronella, a bug repellant. Well, at least, the bugs wouldn’t bother you when bathing. So, Ivory is still champion of the floating soaps.

There are also spiritual odors. For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life (2 Corinthians 2:15,16 NASB).

Spiritually speaking, non-Christians can smell a Christian coming. The lost know they are lost, dead, when in the presence of people who are alive in Christ. The “life” makes the “dead” aware. The opposite is true too. Life recognizes life. Christians can recognize each other by the presence of Christ.

I guess the question we have to ask ourselves is what kind of odor do we give off? Life or death?