CCF: Be Salty! Be Bright!

Matthew 5:13-16

Bro. David Jackson

Jesus have a gift of knowing the minds and the hearts of the people He was talking to in his teachings in “The Beatitudes”. He knew exactly what to say to challenge them in their spiritual journey. At the same time, He also have a message for those who are already following Him.

  “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. 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 5:13-16

For those who have been cooking, we know that salt when added to a dish, enhances the seasoning of the food and brings out its flavor. As followers of Christ how can we be salt and light of this world so others who haven’t heard the gospel will be drawn to God and believe.

The salt God was referring to in these passages is raw sea salt. Salt during Jesus time was very valuable due to its many uses – cooking, preserving food, disinfectant, supplement to fertilizer, etc. It can be traded as commodity almost like a currency. While the light God was describing here was a lamp made up of clay filled with some oil, in order to maximize the light, it should be placed in a lampstand or on top of a basket. Both salt and light are valuable - it has intended purpose but when used wrongly can limit its usefulness.

The same way, our lives also have intended purpose – to glorify God, participate in His love for the world and make Him known everywhere. God will use you and your story, but you can limit your effectiveness and the ways God can use you by the choices that you make. You can make choices that destroy your credibility and break other’s trust that would be difficult to rebuild. You can also make a choice not to be involve with the people around you and choose to live quietly on your own, but miss the opportunity to love and speak the truth to them. Or you can choose to be salty and bright, help the people around you to know Jesus and grow in their faith. The purpose of being salty and bright is not to make you look good, but to give people their first taste of God and to illuminate their world so that they could see their standing with God and their situation clearly. To draw people in and point them to God.

We are at our most salty when we spread out in our community. Just like how salt requires contact to the food, as Christians we have to connect with the people around us who needs to know Jesus. We are at our most salty when we set an example of humility learning from our mistakes and growing from it.

We are at our most bright when we clearly and with humility speak the truth about the world around us. When we take every opportunity to tell others about the difference that God has made in your life. When we faithfully pass the truth of who God is and what He has done in us. When we compassionately speak the truth about the consequences of sin. When we live with integrity.

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. – John 15:5

Be Salty! Be Bright!

Thanks to the Holy Spirit,

I am salty and I am bright,

I am going through my day together with God.

I will get into the mix.

I will not hide.

I will speak the truth.

I will let God use me to love the people around me.

Image courtesy of www.pottypadre.com

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