Does God Hold His Nose?

We were doing ministry for a month in a small Hungarian town and we got used to seeing the same man sitting on a bench whenever we went shopping. 

Despite the warm weather, he was always wearing a heavy parka. It was hard to tell his age because his beard and hair were long. 

We had to hold our breath when we walked past—the stench of urine, alcohol, mud and excrement were so strong. I couldn't help but thinking about my own smell... in a spiritual sense.

I could only see this man's outward appearance, but God could see his heart (1 Samuel 16:7). 

What was his story? What did God see when He looked at him? 

And what did God see when He looked at my heart and the hearts of others on the street?

Did any of us look presentable on the outside but filthy on the inside? Were we covered with the odors of self-righteousness, greed, immorality, hatred, or jealousy? Were we as dirty on the inside as this man was on the outside? (Matthew 23:25)

Seeing this man prompted me to ask God to examine my heart and show me if anything in me makes Him hold his nose (Psalm 26:2; Psalm 139:23-24). 

I want to have a "pleasing aroma" to my Lord (2 Corinthians 2:15-16).

How about you?

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