Matthew 5, NIVSalt and Light
“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.
14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 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. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
How salty am I? That is a question that begs to be answered personally as we live in a world that is crusty, rude, afraid, angry, sad, depressed, rebellious, biting, sarcastic, selfish, and always making a joke to put someone else down.
How salty am I? No, really?
Do I join in the fun of selfishness and sarcasm so I can fit into the group of others who laugh at the expense of others? Do I make fun of people who are struggling, old, forgetful, young and unknowing, middle-aged and wondering, or anyone else that I can put down so I will feel better about myself? Do I see only faults and flaws instead of looking at people through God’s eyes of grace and mercy, the One who knows their story and wants the best for them?
Perhaps my “salt” has lost it’s flavor. Maybe I don’t talk to God as much anymore for fear He will ask me to be or do what I am not comfortable with because comfort is my highest priority at the moment. Maybe I’m just tired and hope that others will find Jesus from someone else. Maybe I need to revisit the salt mines of my soul be “salted” once more by Jesus so I can be sent again to salt the world with more of HIS flavor and a lot less of me.Flavor comes from knowing God, hearing God and obeying God. It’s all about God and not about us. We are here for only moments to fulfill His purpose. This line of thinking and reflecting poses more questions. Will I be with God for eternity? Will He really ask me how salty I was on earth? Will He know? (Um, yes.)
How salty am I in this moment right now? What do I need to do to stay salty before all flavor is lost?
ACCEPT AND CONFESS Accept Jesus as the Son of God and acknowledge that He is Truth and the Only Way to God who knows our Name and the number of hairs on our head. Really believe what we believe about God is really real. Go deeper in faith. Know His love. Then love like He loves us. Commit to Him above all.
Confess the sin of self as the most important along with all that selfish thinking and behaving that is causing us to lose flavor for God and therefore lose our saltiness to the world. Admit our flavor loss and ask for His Holy Spirit to help guide us back to living for the glory of God.
GROW UP–INTENTIONALLY
God wants us to grow up and leave our self-centered ways. His goal for us is to mature and develop the character of Jesus Christ, His Son. Be intentional about being like Christ! God reflects His Light in those who truly intend on living and loving how Jesus taught and modeled for us while on earth. Jesus fulfilled God’s Law (how to live) with God’s intent for living life abundantly full of love, mercy and grace.
Warning…Spiritual growth is not automatic! It takes an intentional commitment. You must WANT to grow, DECIDE to grow, MAKE AN EFFORT to grow and PERSIST in growing. The process of becoming like Christ always begins with a decision. Paul tells us it is a daily decision asking for God’s help,
“So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking.” “Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.”
Romans 12:1-2, The Message
We cannot do it without God’s help. Our part is to first DECIDE. Decide to follow Jesus now that we have found Jesus. We will become whatever we are committed to.
BRING GOD’S LIGHT INTO THE DARKNESSRemember we are not the Light. We REFLECT His Light. Picture God as the sun and we are the moon. The moon has no light in and of itself. The moon can only reflect the Light of the sun. That’s why the moon has a “dark side” from time to time depending on it’s position aligned with the sun.
Am I so aligned with the Son that I reflect His Light? Does His Light show on my face? Is His Light cascading from my heart, mind and soul dispelling the darkness around me?
This passage causes us to pause, pray, reflect and revisit the salt mines of God’s Word!
“You are the salt of the earth.”
“You are the Light of the world.”
PRAYER CHALLENGE:
Go to God. Accept, Confess, Grow Up, Decide to Follow Jesus. Listen for His response and guidance. Pick up God’s flavor and restore our bland living. Reflect His Light and don’t let anyone, including ourselves, hide what we know as Truth to be lived out loud. In Jesus Name, Amen
Daily Manna (Coffee with Jesus) 