The Smell Test

Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.  We will know by this that we are of the truth, and will assure our hearts before Him, in whatever our heart condemns us, we have confidence before God; and whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight. 1 John 3:19-22

Before I married April I was a bachelor.  As such I had a very complex laundry system.  My laundry system started with "the smell test."  In this highly scientific analysis an article of clothing was carefully selected from the floor of the room and smelled at arms length for offensive odors.  If it passed this test it got the "close up smell test."  The results of this test were entered into a larger equation that took into consideration where I would be going that day, who I would be with and how likely it would be that I would be in close enough proximity to be smelled.  Marriage is a good thing for people like me.  In his first epistle John gives us a "smell test" for our faith.  How can you know if you are walking in the Lord?  Evaluate your feelings towards your brothers and sisters in Him.  If bitterness, envy, frustration, fear and hatred dominate your thoughts towards fellow believers you can know without question that you have taken your eyes off of Jesus.