Are You Shaking Your Salt? | Shake Salt and Shine Light Part 1
Let’s start with scripture:
“Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You’ve lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage.” Matthew 5:13, The Message
Salt and light; what excellent metaphors that show how we must live and relate to the world.
The year was 1972, and we had just relocated from New York to Arizona – this was my 8th school as I began my freshman year in high school. It was in this season of life that I decided to accept Christ. It changed everything and I felt ignited and inspired. Our youth pastor became a great friend and positive influence in my life. He was adamant that I should read the New Testament and I did. When I reached chapter 5 in the book of Matthew, I found the beatitudes profound.
Many years later, it dawned upon me that these are “The Beautiful Attitudes” that describe the inner character as fully devoted followers of Christ. After reading this chapter multiple times I desired to be salt and light. A couple of years later, the U.S. Army began a campaign; “Be all you can be.” That is how I wanted to be as a believer in Christ.
Do you like the directness of what is being said – Why you are here? This removes all doubt. I invite you to join me in discovering more about salt. Salt is used in the bible in 11 different ways; two are for cleansing and preserving. The context in this verse is to be a spice. Here are a few thoughts about salt:
- The chemical composition of salt never changes.
- Salt comes from the inside (why else would we need to shake it out?).
- A little salt goes a long way.
Thinking of using salt reminds me of Thanksgiving when I love to make mashed potatoes. Of all the dishes served it is a high-impact food and relatively easy to make. I notice that even though I initially start adding salt, I can no longer taste it after adding the butter, sour cream, cream cheese, and milk. At this point, there is a deficit of salt. There is no change in its chemical composition; it’s diluted.
When I think of salt, I often feel that this is a “Spiritual Trade Deficit.” We export our influence on those around us. We need to ensure that there are significant positive influences coming into our lives so that we will have an abundant surplus to be pouring out to those around us. If we are not salting the earth, we must be watchful to not allow the effects of the world to let rot set in. High concentration of salt kills organisms that decay food and cause disease. It would be a great tragedy if the world did us more harm than we do it good. I encourage you not to dilute your salt. Be fully potent for maximum effect!
The next time someone bumps into you ask yourself what did I just pour out? Did I add spice to their life?
Seeking to live in His reflection,
Jerry
P.S. Watch for next month’s newsletter, where I’ll dive into Part 2 of the “Shake Your Salt and Shine Your Light” series.
