Something to think about…
Has anyone ever offered you a mint and you knew exactly what they meant? It can be embarrassing to discover we've been walking around with bad breath and we didn't even know it. We can have a negative impact on others by what we breathe out on them. Everyone wants fresh breath.
In fact, Americans spend around $10 billion each year to address this one issue. What we breathe out matters. It can drive others away or draw them closer. I think many have developed some bad spiritual breath without even knowing it.
There are some pretty common causes for our bad breath. If you just went out for an Italian dinner, there is a good chance you'll leave with garlic breath. They give out those little mints at the end of your meal for a good reason. Of course, sleeping leads to morning breath, which is never fresh, but easily remedied with a little mouthwash. However, ongoing bad breath can be a sign of a more significant sickness. It may be a sign that there is something more serious going on within us.
In Scripture the word for spirit is also the word for breath.
In the Old Testament Hebrew the word is Ruach, which means spirit, wind, or breath. And in the New Testament Greek the word is Pneuma, which also means spirit or breath. We can develop a stinky spirit and sometimes we don't even know it, but I believe others will certainly smell it.
What are you feeding your soul? Have you been spiritually sleeping? Are you suffering from a deeper spiritual sickness? These can all lead us to develop a stinky spirit. What are you breathing out on others? God wants to fill us with His Spirit so that we breathe out the Breath of Life. My prayer is that we would continue to breathe in His Holy Presence, so that we can exhale His love, grace, and blessing on those around us. That kind of breath will always draw them closer, rather than driving them away. What does your breath smell like today? God wants us all to have fresh breath!