Salt and Light.

"You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet." {Matthew 5:13 ESV}

"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}

We are the salt of the Earth. You and I.

What does that mean, exactly?

I love the way The Message puts it.

We are here to bring out the God in this world. It's our calling, our purpose.

To shine Jesus. 

We are called to show Jesus's love to all of the people on the Earth. His pure, unadulterated love. But how do we best do that?

We have to invest our whole hearts in Jesus, and preach His message to the world.

Why do we use salt in food?

Salt makes a difference in taste. It can give something more flavor, improve a bland dish, and most of us would agree that we love salty foods.

When Jesus calls us to be the salt of the Earth, He is calling is to make a difference in the world.

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." {Matthew 5:14-16}

The light of the world.

We are the light. Not just the light of a secluded side walk that no one has used for 100 years. The light of now. The light of our families, our workplaces, our schools, our cities.

For someone who doesn't know Jesus, their good works shine on them. They get the glory, and they probably want the glory.

That they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. {John 17:21-23}

{yes, it's a major tongue twister.}

As believers, we get the privilege of bringing glory to God through all that we do.

You are a gift to the people in your world and in your life. Don't ever feel like you aren't useful. God is always working in you and through you, to spread His message to others. Let Him have you.

Everything you do, from the simplest thing to the most miraculous thing, matters. Use your life as a tool to spread the good word and hope that you have in Jesus. Turn your possibly dry, dark, and flavorless world into a bright, salty, joyful mess, with Jesus right in the middle.

We cannot live for ourselves alone. Our lives are connected by a thousand invisible threads, and along these sympathetic fibers, our actions run as causes and return to us as results. -Herman Melville

Be the salt. Be the light. Do good things in His name.

How are you going to shine?

Blessings!

Sydney