One winter day when I was about nine years old, I spent the morning reading in my bedroom while my brother, who was about four years old at the time, and our cousins played with their toys in the living room.
I was just getting to the climax of my book when something made me stop reading. I dropped the book to my lap and squinted my eyes trying to figure out what was different. Did I hear a noise? Was it getting warmer? Wait…what was that smell? I crinkled my nose and tried to analyze the subtle smell that somehow reminded me of s’mores and PE class all at once. For a moment, I contemplated ignoring the smell and getting back to the excitement of my book, but curiosity finally got the best of me and I left the room to investigate.
I met my mom in the hallway, and we both followed our noses to the living room where the campfire/locker room smell seemed to be originating. We inspected the fire in the fireplace. Nothing seemed out of place, so she got out the poker and started poking around the logs. In no time at all, she unearthed the remnants of a very small, but very melted, plastic “jelly” shoe. We wondered how in the world one of my jellies had gotten into the fireplace when at once we turned to find my brother and cousins walking down the hall – their arms full of more shoes. It seemed the jelly had just been an experiment to see if, in fact, girls’ shoes melted. And note to all – they do!
When something “smells funny”
Have you ever been watching a television show, listening to a sermon, or even receiving advice from a friend, when something suddenly “smelled funny” to you about what you just heard? Maybe you couldn’t put your finger on it, but something just seemed out of place or not-quite-right, and the thought crossed your mind that maybe you should investigate and verify that in the Bible before you took it as 100% truth. Well as it turns out, those “What’s that smell?” moments are there for a reason, and you shouldn’t ignore your instincts when your spirit questions something you’ve heard.
In 1 Thessalonians 5:21, we’re told to “test everything” according to God’s Word. That means that if we read or hear a message that claims to be from God, we have a responsibility to investigate and see if that message aligns with the Bible or not.
Of course, most of us are not Bible scholars. We have a general foundation of the Scriptures, but not enough to declare ourselves experts in the fields of biblical theology or doctrine. If that’s the case, how are we ever to know if what we’re taught accurately follows God’s Word or not? That’s when the “smell test” can come in handy. Many times, the Holy Spirit will prompt our hearts just enough to put a question mark in our minds when we hear something that warrants further investigation. That prompting of the Holy Spirit is not to be ignored.
The book of Acts tells of the Bereans who sat under the teachings of Paul. Every day they took what they heard from Paul and tested it against the Scriptures to see if his message was true or not, and they were commended for their discernment (Acts 17).
What about you? Do you examine the preachers you hear or the books you read against the Bible? Or do you just take everything at face value and assume it’s accurate without examining it yourself? God gave us the ultimate authority (the Bible) for a reason. Read it. Study it. And test everything according to it. Over time, your nose will become even more sensitive to the “smells” around you, and your sense of discernment will be heightened.
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