triumphal procession

"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

Do you feel like you are living a life of triumphal procession? I read that as the verse of the day on my desk calendar and it stunned me. Triumphal procession. Not a delusion filled anti-reality nationalistic Trump procession but a Christ lead, God ordained, triumphal procession. Do you feel like you are living a life of triumphal procession?

I can't say that I do. And here are some thoughts about why there is a disconnect:

1) "Christ always leads..." This is key. Overjoyed exuberance while marching on through the unexpected and expected series of life's events - doesn't come from money, "success", or through the pursuit of me-lead desires. Christ lead - Christ focused - Christ centered, that is the key, that is the cornerstone to the triumphal everlasting life referred to in this verse.

2) "Thanks be to God" Paul wrote in his letter. Let me ask you, are you thankful to God, I mean really truly thankful? It's fine to be thankful when all is well, when we feel well loved, and no one disagrees with us, and there is no conflict or tension, our health is good. It is easy to love the gifts over The Giver. If tomorrow all that you have is taken from you could you say "Thanks be to God" through your tears and grief? If today something big is missing in your life, if there is black deep hole, is the light of God powerful enough to break through it and allow gratitude to reign? Here is another layer - thanks ties into trust. You can't be thankful when you don't really trust. You just don't. Do we trust God to really be thankful for Him?

3) This leads to the final disconnect -"Spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of Him everywhere." Think of it this way. All of us are spreading a fragrance of some kind around. The fragrance of materialism, the fragrance of entertainment, the fragrance of pride, the fragrance of impatience - we are spreading the attitude of our hearts, our authentic nature, everywhere we go, every interaction we have, whether we like it or not. What is our fragrance truly and what knowledge does it spread?

"For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing,  to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things?  For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God's word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ." 2 Corinthians 2:15-17