Compounded Guilt (Counseling Chapter 8 Q's)

 "But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of Him everywhere."  

                                                     (2 Corinthians 2:14 ESV).

Observe the adverb 'always' in the verse above.  There's a domino effect here.  It starts with thanks to God.  This leads to victory in Christ.  Giving thanks to God wherever we go leaves a fragrance behind, the fragrance of the knowledge of God.

Did you realize that?  Knowledge of God has a fragrance!  Followers of Jesus Christ, while giving thanks to God, spread His aroma that reaches out to the perishing lost.  Paul and Silas did sing praise in prison even after being seriously beaten and chained up.  An earthquake freed them and the rest of the prisoners but none of them ran away.  Don't you find that rather curious!  Then the jailer got saved along with his family.  Amazing what praise can do.

Good smells of cooking draw hungry people to the kitchen table.  May the "good smell" of Christ upon believers in Christ draw people, not so much to us, rather to Christ through us.

When we ponder the opening verse, we may think within ourselves, I just can't praise or give thanks.  I'm too down in the dumps, too angry, too worried and fearful.  Then you think, "Oh, I'm a Christian, I shouldn't feel like this!  Oh, but I do!"  Then a guilty feeling settles over you and it all becomes a vicious cycle that sucks us down further into the bog of despond.  The guilt becomes compounded within us.

I think the apostle Paul who wrote the letter to the Corinthians would ask you to please read that opening verse again.  Then he'd ask, "Do you want victory over these negative emotions?  Do you?  Do you really?  Are you sure?"

If you answered him, "YES!" to all of those, then the choice is in your hands.  Begin to give thanks to God for the good things, even if it is a very small thing of goodness.  Like, you had food to eat.  Someone smiled at you.  Your child gave you a hug.  You say, "Thank You Father for that smile.  It was so unexpected."  OR, "Thank You Father for my child and his hug."

You could even write those "little" things down in a note book.  That way you could review them and give thanks all over again.  Before you know it, a habit of giving thanks will form.

You may not notice it at first, but there will be a stick stuck into the spokes of that vicious cycle and you'll be on a roll, joining the triumphal procession, spreading Christ's fragrance among the people of your family, your neighbors, acquaintances, co-workers and friends.  Above all, your guilty feelings and other negative emotions will have dissipated if not completely evaporated.

Thanks be to God!

                                                       ~ ERC  March 2025 ~

Based on 2 Corinthians 2:14 ESV and Counseling Friends in Need by Harold J. Sala; Chapter 8 Questions.

Sing, Thanks To God - Hymn along with The Wellman.

See also:  Unless ...

Memorize 2 Corinthians 2:14 ESV to remind yourself daily of giving thanks to God and forming a habit of praise so the fragrance of Christ can be spread abroad by you.