use it or lose it

Thanks be to God who leads us, wherever we are, on his own triumphant way and makes our knowledge of him spread throughout the world like a lovely perfume! We Christians have the unmistakable “scent” of Christ, discernible alike to those who are being saved and to those who are heading for death. To the latter it seems like the very smell of doom, to the former it has the fresh fragrance of life itself.              2 Corinthians 2:14-17 (PHILLIPS)

My favorite perfume has a beautiful design on the bottle. A lovely floral pattern contrasts against the white cylinder. A bold silver strip encircles the vase. But there’s a problem—what’s inside has gone flat. You see, I thought I should save the aromatic liquid for special occasions. I thought it would always be there for me, ready for just a touch of the fine mist.

But perfume gathering dust on a shelf loses its purpose. It was meant to flavor the world with a fine aroma and heighten the olfactory senses. Unused, perfume becomes a sour token of its former glory.

What about writing? When I keep putting off the work of writing in order to tackle the tyranny of the urgent, my words get shelved and buried like the papers on my overflowing desk. Writing loses its luster and languishes in obscure places. Words are meant to encourage, enlighten and exhort, but expire when left unexpressed.

What causes words to become stale? Could the use of passive voice, lack of passion, or prideful statements take away the delivery punch?

What enables words to be sweet-smelling? Could hope, humor, and heartfelt fragrance enliven a manuscript?

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Let’s prime the pump in the following exercise.

Exercise:

Ponder this:

Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. John 12:1-3 (NIV)

Why was Mary’s gesture so unusual?

In what way does it relate to your writing?

May Mary’s extravagance inspire a generous overflow of love to those around us!

Where can you fill the air with a pleasing aroma?

Words are meant to encourage, enlighten and exhort, but expire when left unexpressed.

Let your words encourage, enlighten and exhort!

Sally Ferguson loves to dive into God’s Word and splash his refreshing water onto others. She speaks and writes with a look at snapshots of life in the sunshine and in the storms.

Sally plans women’s retreats and she’s working on a Bible study for caregivers. She lives in the beautiful countryside of Jamestown, NY with her husband and her dad.

Visit Sally’s blog at sallyferguson.net