SALT

Yesterday at my women’s bible study that I have the privilege of leading, we were discussing the very familiar scripture passage Mathew 5:13-16 where Jesus calls us the salt and light of the world.

We talked about the two and how we as believers are to influence the world around us. When Jesus calls us the salt of the earth, he also warns us that if the salt loses its saltiness, it is fit only to be trampled upon.

How can salt lose its saltiness?

Salt does not lose its chemical properties as such. But when you put a teaspoon of salt in a large jug of water, it is barely detectable. If we allow ourselves to be so diluted by the things of this world, our effectiveness as the salt of the earth is undetectable and our testimony falls short.

Take the time to think and reflect on whether we are in any way diluting our witness and testimony by imbibing worldly behaviours that would NOT reflect Christ likeness.

1. Salt is meant to preserve – we are to preserve the moral standards of this society. Preserve against the decay that infiltrates from ungodly and evil ways.
   
2. Salt causes one to thirst – eating salty food makes one thirsty, one of the reasons they always serve salted nuts at a bar is not because they just like us so much but it is more a strategy to make the customer buy more drinks. We are to create that thirst for Christ by how we live and what we say.
   
3. Salt adds flavour – we are here to be the seasoning that brings out the God-flavours of this earth. If we lose our saltiness how will people taste godliness.
   

    

Everyone is uniquely made by our creator, designed to be used for the people and circumstances we are in. Let us reflect and ensure to bring out the God-flavours to those around us and create a thirst for God in them.

How is salt harvested– one of the methods is by evaporation. The solution is boiled and what is left behind is the salt sediment.

When we go through difficult times, these trials can feel like the process of boiling and will reveal to us how much we are infused with the flavour of God or how much we are lacking. None of us relish going through a trial but a fiery trial can help us boil away that which we allowed ourselves to be diluted with and recapture and intensify that ‘salt’ in our life.

Salt if left in the container does not bring out its usefulness, it has to be sprinkled when required. The same way, we are to make ourselves available to be used where and when God wants us to.

As we discussed at bible study about not losing our saltiness by allowing things of this world to dilute us, one of the ladies at my group shared a quote that was new to me and was a very apt analogy to this topic.

“Be a thermostat and not a thermometer.”

This might be familiar to you, but it was the first time I heard it. Let’s just dig a little into this.

Simply put, a thermometer reflects the temperature of its surroundings while a thermostat affects the temperature of its surroundings. A thermometer although valuable does not have the capacity to change the conditions of its surroundings. A thermostat has the power to implement change and it does not fluctuate.

For us: do we tend to be more like the thermometer and are influenced by the world around us and reflect accordingly or are we like the thermostat where we are set at God’s standard temperature. Despite our circumstances, we are steady and firm with our feet firmly planted in the Lord and His word. We do not fluctuate but instead have an impact and spread the influence of Christ around us.

We may not be able to change situations or people but we can have an effect on them. Our faith may not eradicate the trial but it can control the volume of fear and doubt it can create in our hearts.

God’s presence is a constant regardless of what we may go through. Let us be aware and cautious to not lose our saltiness by diluting ourselves with the things of this world. As followers of Christ we are called to make an impact around us for Christ. The ability to make that impact, that difference does not come from us but from the Spirit within us.

Our relationship with God should have an impact within us and in turn on everyone around us.

God Bless.