Down Wind

I heard an expression a while back that really has taken my fancy. I was listening to Wretched Radio which was featuring a Christian comedian. This comedian was giving his testimony and he spoke of "getting downwind of himself." He used this expression to describe the experience of learning how truly horrible he was. Just as a person who lives downwind of the local garbage dump smells the stink, when he realized what a wretch he was, he got his nose full of the stink of his own sin.

Some of us who have been on the road for a while have forgotten our stink. We have forgotten that we were and still are those who do incredibly offensive things before our God. We stink to high heaven! Unfortunately, it has been too long since we have been downwind of ourselves. We have lost a sense of how abominable our sin is to God.

Why is this so important? Well when we get a good whiff of our stench it reminds us how gracious Christ was in dying for us. There was nothing in my stinking, rotting corpse that would attract grace. Rather, it is all of God's love that mercy was extended to me. As well, when I get downwind of myself and realize how offensive I am, it renews my desire to pursue God's holiness. I don't want to stink! I want to be a sweet smelling sacrifice to the God who saved me!