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Wisdom Pill · Day 22

The Smell That Sticks to Your Clothes

August 22, 2026 · For the grown-ups to read with the kids

Before anything else: God loves you the same amount every day, and nothing you do changes that amount.

Have you ever sat near a bonfire or a barbecue? By the time you go to bed, your whole outfit smells like smoke.

Notice something: you didn't do anything. You didn't touch the smoke, you didn't rub it on yourself. You just stayed close, and the smell stuck on its own.

It works the exact same way with people. If you spend every day with someone who talks ugly, one day the ugly word comes out of your own mouth before you even think about it. If you spend time with someone who treats others badly, one day you treat people badly too, and you don't even notice where it came from.

Now pay close attention to this part, because it's really important. That doesn't mean you should treat someone badly just because they do something wrong. Jesus got close to everyone, even the people nobody else wanted near them. He ate together with people other folks criticized.

But notice how he did it. Jesus got close to bring people over to the good side. He never went over to the bad side with them.

So you can be everyone's friend and still say, without a fight: I'm not playing that one.

And there's a good part to this smell story. It works both ways. If you're a kind kid, whoever plays with you picks up a little of your kindness.

The smell sticks without asking permission. Choose carefully which bonfire you stand near.
Family Challenge

Today's challenge is called The Good Smell.

At the end, talk about it: what smell are you leaving on people?

This time's challenge: The Good Smell
Family Prayer

Lord, thank You for never giving up on us and for coming close even when we mess up. Help our family choose our friendships well and notice what's sticking to us. Give us courage to say no when we need to, without treating anyone badly. And teach us to be the good smell of the people around us. In Jesus' name, amen.