“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, show 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)
Jesus calls you and me the ‘salt of the earth.’ But what does He mean by that? If you Google that term, you’ll get the following definition; “a person or group of people of great kindness, reliability, or honesty.”
I believe Jesus was calling us to more than just ‘goodness.’ Being the salt of the earth is about being Christ to those around us. Many of us conduct our lives within the saltshaker (or Christian bubble). We attend church and hang out with fellow believers because that is where we feel ‘safe and comfortable’ because it’s the easier thing to do. I get it; it can be uncomfortable to get out of the saltshaker and into the world (there’s a great book by that title that I highly recommend, written by Rebecca Manlet Pippert). Some of us are uncomfortable with the negative influences and false ideologies present in our culture. We are reluctant to engage in conversations that might give rise to awkward questions.
While there is nothing intrinsically wrong with gravitating toward those who share our faith in Christ, many of us have forgotten our calling. Instead of establishing relationships with those who are far from God and need to know of His saving grace, we prefer to stay in the saltshaker because it’s the safest or easiest route. I, myself, am guilty of this.
Today, I would like to extend an invitation to step out of the saltshaker. Make an intentional effort to share the love of Jesus with a neighbor, a coworker, or a friend who doesn’t know Christ. Pray about it. Ask God to open your eyes to those who are hurting and in need of a Savior. Spread the salt far and wide.
I leave you with this powerful thought by John Stott: “We should not ask, ‘What is wrong with the world?’ for that diagnosis has already been given. Rather, we should ask, ‘What has happened to salt and light?’”