Does your attitude stink, or is it appealing?
“They are the fragrant odor of an offering and sacrifice which God welcomes and in which he delights.”
— Philippians 4:18 (AMP)
Years ago, I worked as a nurse in a labor and delivery unit at a hospital. Oftentimes, when helping the new mothers out of bed for the first time after delivery, they would get weak and feel faint.
In each room there was ammonia capsules (smelling salts) at the patient’s bedside in case this occurred. One whiff of the capsule usually rendered a responsive patient.
One busy day, one of the nurses decided she would keep an ammonia capsule in her pocket for quick use. After slipping the capsule in her pocket, she started her daily rounds and didn’t give it another thought. After a short time she noticed a pungent odor.
Every time she entered a patient’s room, they remarked about a horrible stench. The nurse noticed as she went from room to room this smell lingered. She started looking around the unit to see if she could discover where this harsh odor was coming from, but didn’t find anything.
Later, while reaching in her pocket for an ink pen, she noticed her pocket was wet; she discovered the ammonia capsule had burst in her pocket. She felt funny when she realized all the time she was the one carrying the repulsive odor.
This story makes me think of our daily lives and the kind of aroma we carry around with us.
In today’s culture we spend a lot of money on perfumes, colognes, and deodorants to cover up our bad odors, but how much attention do we give to the scent coming from within?
We want to carry a fragrant attitude that will be sweet to the others we come in contact with, not one that will make others want to avoid us.
Each day, as we prepare for our daily tasks, we need to check that we are taking the right fragrance with us.
Is the fragrance we’re emitting the pleasant odor of a kind and loving attitude, or the stench of bitterness, anger, arguing and complaining?
A pleasant attitude is more valuable than the most expensive fragrance on the market, and one that’s enjoyable to God and others.
Ÿ Annettee Budzban is a Christian author, speaker, life coach and nurse. Join her from 7-8 p.m. Wednesday, May 8, at Panera Bread on Rand Road in Arlington Heights for “13 steps to make your dream reality!” Conference is free. Due to limited seating, confirm your seats by calling (847) 543-8413 or email Annetteebudzban@aol.com