Are You the Salt of the Earth?

-



Scripture Matthew 5:13

13 “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.

Devotion

All of us who were raised “in the church” know this scripture. Salt makes a great preservative. In Jesus day when there was no refrigeration food was preserved with salt. So, it is to be with the church. We are called to be the preservative in our culture. The thing which keeps culture from decaying. A look around at today’s world shows us how badly we have missed the mark in this regard. I am afraid we have greatly reduced our role in the world to where we are no longer performing this vital function.

Many individual churches and sometimes entire denominations have tried to be like sugar to the world. Sure, you can attract more people with sugar than with salt, but as Jesus said that is not our mission in the world. We sometimes water down God’s word to make it more attractive to the culture. Adding sugar to food improves the taste in the short term but hastens decay in the long term. We may get more people in the pews in the short run, but they will soon get tired of religion that only makes them fat and happy for the moment.

We need to get back to being salt. We may miss out on filling stadiums with people but the people who are there get fed a healthier diet and are more likely to last for the long term. The scriptures preservative effect will keep their spiritual “blood sugar” at a more stable level. I was recently hospitalized and one thing that worried my doctor was the fact my blood sugar was unstable, one time it would be high the next time low. Finally, we got it stabilized and my doctor and I felt much better. The church must get off its sugar high and start acting more like salt. It may not result in the need for overflow seating or adding another service, but it will make the people in the pews much more stable and less likely to “spoil”.

God will be pleased as his church grows and is healthy rather than a whole stadium full of people who are just there for the sweetness and leave as soon as a “salty” word is preached from the pulpit. And soon the whole batch is good for nothing but to be “trampled under people’s feet.

Prayer

            Lord make us salty. We want to be a preservative for people’s souls not sugar for their bellies. Show us how to be salty again. We want to reach the world for you show us your plan for church growth. Don’t leave us on the ground to be trampled underfoot. Lift our faces to the light of your glory so that we may reflect that glory to those around us.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Welcoming the Unwelcome

-
  Scripture: Luke 7:36-38 (NIV) 36  When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. 37  A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. 38  As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them, and poured perfume on them. Devotion:             First of all, some warnings to my readers. This post will exceed the 500 words I try to limit my posts. Second, this post will contain content people may find offensive or otherwise unfit for print. Please understand that my purpose is neither to offend nor upset but to provoke thought and, hopefully, respectful dialog.             We will use Luke chapt...
Read more

The Hatred of the World

-
Scripture: John 15:18-20 (ESV) 18  “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19  If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20  Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. Devotion:             This scripture is compelling. It explains what happened to Jesus and His disciples some 2,000 years ago. The message of God is rarely welcome news for the world. It calls out many of the culture's favorite practices for what they are: sin. Ever since Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, humankind has been adamant about trying to hide or excuse their sin. Sin causes a barrier between humans and God that humanity cannot overcom...
Read more

Reflecting on Reformation Day

-
  On October 31st, millions of Christians around the world celebrate Reformation Day, a commemoration of a pivotal moment in church history. It marks the day in 1517 when Martin Luther, a German monk and scholar, nailed his Ninety-Five Theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg. This act, challenging the practices and doctrines of the Catholic Church, ignited what we now know as the Protestant Reformation. The Courage to Stand for Truth Reformation Day calls us to reflect on the courage it takes to stand for truth. Martin Luther faced immense opposition and risked his life to speak against the corruption and abuses he saw within the church. His conviction was rooted in a deep understanding of scripture and a sincere desire to return to the teachings of Christ. As we remember Luther's bravery, let us examine our own lives. Are we willing to stand firm in our beliefs, even when it is difficult? Do we seek truth in God's word and let it guide our actions? Script...
Read more