Lent: Day forty-four ~ Salt & Light

Matt. 5: 13-16 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Have you ever eaten a softened boiled potato, plain? How does that taste? I prefer a little salt on my food; seasoned up nicely otherwise it is very bland. Your life as a Christian should be making an impact on those around you just as the salt does to the potato, by adding seasoning to their life. Not a bold chili-pepper type of seasoning, just a tad bit of salt.

God is calling us to be the salt and Light of the earth.

Salt as a preservative ~ In ancient time salt was used to keep meat from spoiling. Salt in those days was as important as a refrigerator is to us today. If we faithfully represent Jesus, we can leave a positive effect on those around us.

Salt adds flavor ~ Just as salt can add a welcome flavor to your potato. Even if we’re not the brightest bulb in the world, we can allow the Holy-Spirit to shine through us thus adding a nice touch of flavor to those around you.

Salt penetrates ~ It doesn’t take too much salt on that potato to make the entire meal have extra flavor. A godly person has that penetrating capability to those around them.

Salt makes you thirsty ~ When you walk in a godly fashion through pain and strife and overcome obstacles that others struggle with, people want to know where you get that peace and strength from; they thirst for the same tranquility in their lives. We are called to be salt of the earth to show them that through God, they too can find the inner peace.

Salt spreads nicely ~ It doesn’t take an enormous amount of shaking of the salt-shaker to season the whole plate of food. Think of it this way, thousands of years ago, Jesus seasoned just a small batch of potatoes. Me sharing what Jesus has done in my life is the most effective form of spreading the Gospel.

Salt can lose its flavor ~ Matt. 5:13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.

This is what happens to believers who allow sin to rule their lives, they lose the impact they could have had on people when delivering the message of Christ.

Salt in excess can backfire ~ I remember my mother used to make chicken-noodle soup and share it with me, it always had way too much salt so I got the recipe and made my own, sharing it with her. She told me that mine tasted better than hers! Why? Because I used less salt.Too much salt is not a good thing.

One can spread too much gospel and actually deter people from Christ. Spreading the Gospel should be lightly seasoning lives not overpowering them to where they flee from Christ.

We are called to be the Light of the world. The Light within you comes from Christ. It can be a beacon for all to see. Just as a lighthouse is a guide, you can be a guide for others who are struggling in their belief. You don’t even need to be a lighthouse; just a simple candle in a darkened room can give just the right amount of Light.

But remember even a candle can lose its brightness. When we allow sin to permeate the environment the candle becomes dim. You need to keep the fire stoked by trimming off the excess wick so the flame burns brighter and brighter.  This is how obedience to Christ keeps us shining for all to see.

If you are being salt and light, you are impacting the world! Through your actions, behavior and treatment of others all lends to your Christian character. You can either guide the ships into a safe harbor, or drive them further out to sea. The Lord calls us to purify our souls and allow people to SEE the PURITY in you; you then become salt and Light to the world.

I hope by the end of reading this post I made you hungry, and not for potatoes and chicken noodle soup either, hungry for CHRIST! Now go on out into the world and add a little salt and Light.

Praise be to God!