Mmmm, Smell That!

Do you like to smell good? Maybe when you get really dressed up, you have a favorite cologne or perfume that you like to splash on (or bathe in). Then again, your idea of getting really dressed up may just mean wearing deodorant! Either way, it’s nice to smell good. We would much rather have people say, “Mmmmmm, that smells good! What cologne is that?” than say, “You stink— is that your feet that smell?”
Maybe you can even recognize the scents of certain people. Perhaps your mom wears a certain perfume that always smells like home to you. Maybe your dad wears an aftershave that makes you think of him immediately. Maybe there’s a special someone at school who wears a certain perfume and when you smell it, your heart starts beating faster and your palms get sweaty.
Just like a nice perfume or cologne is a great addition to an outfit, kind and wise words can have the same effect. Proverbs 27:9 says, “Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart: so doth the sweetness of a man’s friend by hearty counsel.”
What we say affects our friends. We can discourage them and cut them down with mean, thoughtless words or we can build them up and encourage them. Have you ever had a friend spend some time talking to you and brighten your whole day?
It isn’t enough just to say nice things to make people feel better. Sometimes we may need to say hard things that our friends need to hear. We may need to confront them about something they are doing wrong. The verse speaks of “hearty counsel” or “heartfelt advice.” We can brighten someone’s day by caring enough to take time and talk with them.
Your words can be like sweet perfume or stinky garbage. They can make your friend’s day or ruin it. Which of the two describes your words? Does the “smell” of your words make your friends happy?