I saw a quote this week.
“Jesus called you to be salt, not honey. The world wants you to be sweet and agreeable. He made you to season and sting when you need to. Know your assignment.”
It stuck with me. Me more I thought about it, the deeper it goes. On the surface, salt is boring. It’s white, not great to eat on its own, cheap, and just always around. But it goes way deeper than that.
If you have ever had to cut salt from your diet, you realize really quick how much salt amplifies flavors. You can put all the spices you want, but without salt, it’s bland or muted. Salt is the basis of most seasoning blends for a reason. Salt is used to preserve and cure meats. You need salt to make bacon, that alone is important stuff.
Salt can clean. I use salt to scrub down cast iron pans. Gargling with saltwater helps sore throats. It can help clean small wounds. Salt has so many uses.
So how are we to be like salt? We are to amplify the areas in life where we can bring joy. We are to be the support and base for those around us. We should help save and preserve those around us who are struggling. We should also be ready to defend each other from attacks, spiritually and physically. We should help each other clean up our lives.
You see there are a lot of ways we can be like salt.
““You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless.”
Matthew 5:13 NLT
This passage shows us that we need to be active in our pursuit of God in this world. In that verse and several others in the Bible, Jesus uses the analogy of tasteless salt being worthless. If we are to be salt, but we don’t impact the world around us, what good are we doing? How are we living up to our purpose?
The quote compares us to salt and honey. The salt is much more useful and necessary in the world. Honey has its uses, but salt is needed more. It seems like most people these days wold prefer to be honey and just be sweet and go along with what the world around us does. The fact of the matter is that’s not what we were called to do.
We were called to be the salt and the light in the world of darkness. We are to build up and protect those around us. We were called to change the world. We are called to protect and preserve.
This week, take a hard look at your world. Are you impacting it or just along for the ride?
““You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.”
Matthew 5:14 NLT