My husband and son-in-love had gone fishing and thanks to my SIL's generosity this 28" Coho was waiting in my kitchen sink to be fileted.My first thought when I looked down at the fish was .. ."There is definitely something fishy about that face!"
I'm often curious about how expressions get started and so I googled my question regarding why we refer to things we mistrust as 'fishy'.
I found this explanation to be of interest... The meaning of 'there's something fishy' is something of doubtful character or of some shady deal where the motives are suspected. The term 'fishy' is thought to have arisen from the notion "as slippery as a fish" or as an allusion to meat with a "fishy" taste, an indication that the meat is bad. A simpler explanation is that old fish (not good to eat) smells fishy with bad odour caused by a chemical named trimethylamine which is released when fish begins to break down. (from ttp://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/artic…)
How naturally we are drawn or repelled by the sensitivity of our noses .
A stench or a sweet smell invoke such opposite responses.
What God has put into our physical world so often has a spiritual lesson.
I wonder how often a Christian invokes the "something's fishy" response from the world that is watching them.
When the world blasphemes God, He places the blame on His children. (Rom 2:24)
Is it because Christians are too often guilty of something in their life giving off a foul smell ?
What 'chemical' released within them would give off a 'fishy' smell ?
Would it not be the chemical called 'sin' ?
When we walk in disobedience, when we indulge our fleshly lusts or pleasures, when we do not walk in the light nor in love one to another .. when we harbour unforgiveness, or selfishness or discontent, we give off a bad odour .
As believers we are gifted to give off a sweet fragrance, the fragrance of Christ in us.
2Co 2:14 "Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. " 2Co 2:14 NKJV
We are admonished in II Cor. 13:5 to "Examine yourselves..." I think that means ...'Do the sniff test!' ... Is there something about you that smells fishy or are you a diffuser of the fragrance of Christ?
*****
8 comments:
What a fabulous object lesson Julie! I'm going to have to do the "sniff test"!
Oh...I can smell it from here...I do not do well with smelly fish..but you sure gave me something to thing about...Thanks Julie.
Perfect application of your fish's "fishy face" lesson. What drives me bonkers is when I "smell" something fishy going on yet I can't determine from where exactly the scent is coming. So tempting to leave the area, spray room freshner, open windows etc, both physically and metaphorically, yet unless the cause is rooted out, it just keeps getting worse!
(WV is milymeno. Not spelled right, but reminded me of a little someone...)
Oh, that brings back memories of the salmon that did smell bad! Not pleasant to say the least. Great object lesson!
Wonderful lesson here, Julie! And it goes so well with the message I heard yesterday morning...about us being the 'salt & light' in the world. I think a sweet fragrance goes well with being salt & light!
That was not an attractive looking fish.
However. ..you always manage to find something applicable to make our character something of beauty.
OH ..and I saw Jills comment and it did make me smile.
Oh Julie....thank you ...thank you for again giving me something that causes me to look within. I do not want to be 'smelly'. I want to be a sweet fragrance. Kathy
Hmmmm, I never knew fish could be so ugly! But as always you find a way to point to what is beautiful and true!
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