Be Salty This Week

Today’s Bible reading is Job 21 and Luke 14.

“Salt is good, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is of no use either for the soil or for the manure pile. It is thrown away. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” (Luke 14:34-35)

“Salt is good.”

Salt stands out. It’s different. Distinct. Salt doesn’t fit in or simply disappear without a trace. Salt impacts its surroundings. “You are the salt of the earth,” Jesus told his disciples. By divine design, we’re to be different, distinct, impacting our surroundings for good.

Salt provides flavor. Sprinkles of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control should be easily identifiable in the homes, schools, churches, workplaces, communities, and social media accounts of Christians.

Salt preserves. By the mercies of God, we’ve presented our bodies as living sacrifices. With renewed minds, transformed perspectives, and hearts set on genuine love, citizens of Christ’s kingdom will not be overcome by evil; we will overcome evil with good.

Salt creates thirst. “Why?” Why would anyone on the receiving end of reviling not revile in return? What compels someone to “outdo” his neighbor in the showing of honor? Where do you find the strength to bless in the face of a curse? Why care about the poor when you have plenty? Why think about the sick when you’re healthy? Why consider the grieving when your life is great? And that “feed your enemy” stuff? Who really lives like that?

Disciples of Jesus do. “Salt is good.”

But if salt loses its taste… no longer standing out, failing to provide flavor, not preserving or provoking thirst… what good is it? “It is of no use either for the soil or for the manure pile. It is thrown away.”

Be salty this week. 

Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person. (Col 4:5-6)

Stand out. Provide flavor. Preserve the fruit of the Spirit. Live in a way that creates thirst and makes others wonder… “What do you have? Why are you different? Who do you know?”

“He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”