August 12

All your garments are fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia; from palaces of ivory the harps make you glad. — Ps 45:8 BSB

We cannot be too careful about the influences we allow into our lives because each one leaves its mark on us, either for beauty or for harm. A great artist once refused to look at the work of inferior artists, saying it would negatively affect his own style. In the same way, we should seek constant fellowship with those who are good, pure, and holy. When we spend time with people like this, we unconsciously absorb something of their sweetness, beauty, and the aroma of heavenliness that surrounds them. We take on the qualities of whatever we see, touch, or spend time with.