Be Salty

“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.

-Matthew 5:13, NIV

            The call of the Christian is the call to be different. To neglect one’s distinctiveness as a follower of Jesus is to invite disaster. There is much that is lost when a professing Christian lives a blatantly un-Christian lifestyle. It’s damaging to their personal walk with Christ as they choose to go a different direction. Beyond that, it’s damaging to the message and mission of Christ. When a person says one thing and does another it strips their message of credibility. If Christians deviate from the distinctiveness to which they are called, they distort the message and the mission. This is not Jesus intended.

            Rather, disciples of Jesus are called to be salt (Matthew 5:13). That means they’re called to be different and embrace the uniqueness of following our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Salt is salty and so the Christian must be Christ-like for that is what the name implies. Don’t miss what it really means to be a Christian. Fully embrace the call and commands of Christ. Be different. Be the salt of the earth. Here are a few salty recommendations.

In Ancient Times, Salt was a Symbol of Purity
Maintain your purity and standards even in the toughest of circumstances. Don’t allow pressure to produce a compromise in character. Grow and be refined in the midst of adversity.

Salt Preserves Food and Prevents Decay
Preserve the lives of those around you. Prevent people from stepping closer to death, decay, or destruction. Be the kind of person in whose presence it is both inviting and easy to make the right choice.

Salt Melts Ice
Exhibit the love of God in word and deed in way that softens hearts. Make a choice to do what’s best for others even if it costs you something. Love people so genuinely that it’s hard for them to talk bad about you.

Salt Adds Flavor
Add flavor to the lives of those around you. Help others to recapture the joy and radiance of the Christian life. Stay close enough to Christ that when they see you, they will see Him.

The One Who Calls You is Faithful

When I was in college there is one chapel that I went to that I will never forget. I will never forget this chapel because of the question the speaker, Elmer Townes, asked all of us. He asked us this, “What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail?” It’s such a simple yet evoking question. It’s the kind of question that can get you dreaming and thinking outside of the box. He preceded to repeat himself and let his words sink into our young hearts and minds. “What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail?” He then pointed us to a verse in 1 Thessalonians 5:24 that says, “The One who calls you is faithful, and He will do it.” He reminded us that day that we ought to be dreaming big dreams for God.

            I would like to ask you the same question I heard all those years ago. What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail? If success was guaranteed, what would you do? Where would you go? Who would you help? What would you accomplish? What legacy would you leave? I want to encourage you to dream big dreams for God and remind you of the kind of God that we serve.

            If God calls you to something, He is going to take care of all the details. Wherever God guides He provides. Success is guaranteed. He will do it. If you are doing God’s work and trusting Him, you are not going to fail. God is not a failure and does not set His people up for failure. God will always accomplish what He set out to do and that is success. God invites you to be a part of His mission and purposes. He is calling all of us to do something. Don’t let fear leave you on the sideline. Prayerfully consider what God might be challenging you to do. If the task or dream God gives you is bigger than can you handle on your own, it’s ok. Remember who you are working for. Do you lack money, resources, knowledge, training, experience, influence, or manpower? Don’t worry. God can take care of it. He only asks you to trust Him. I’ll ask you again. What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail? Start dreaming. Get to work. And remember 1 Thessalonians 5:24,

“The One who calls you is faithful, and He will do it.”

The Faith to Bring an Umbrella

I want to share with you a short story about faith that I read recently written by Laverne W. Hall. Here’s how it goes.

The fields were parched and brown from lack of rain, and the crops lay wilting from thirst. People were anxious and irritable as they searched the sky for any sign of relief. Days turned into arid weeks. No rain came.

The ministers of the local churches called for an hour of prayer on the town square the following Saturday. They requested that everyone bring an object of faith for inspiration.

At high noon on the appointed Saturday the townspeople showed up in masses, filling the square with anxious faces and hopeful hearts. The ministers were touched to see the variety of objects clutched in prayerful hands --Bibles, crosses, and rosaries were only a few of their faith symbols.

When the hour ended, as if on magical command, a soft rain began to fall. Cheers swept the crowd as they held their treasured objects high in gratitude and praise. From the middle of the crowd, one faith symbol seemed to overshadow all the others; A small 9-year-old child had brought an umbrella.

            I think this story reminds us of the kind of faith that God wants us to have. He wants us to have a faith that doesn’t just remain in our heads but also extends to our hearts and hands. There is a vast difference between just saying that we believe something and actually living like we believe it. Biblical faith is not merely informational; it’s transformational. This means what we have faith in actually affects our attitudes and actions. It’s not really faith if we don’t put it into practice. We are reminded of this in James 2:26,

A person’s body without their spirit is dead. In the same way, faith without good deeds is dead.

            Here’s the deal. Even demons believe that God exists but that doesn’t mean they do what He wants or have real Biblical faith. Have more faith than the demons. Put what God says into practice. What would happen if we had enough faith to live like God’s promises were true? The reason this story about the boy and the umbrella is so encouraging is because it illustrates faith in action. The boy believed that God would come through. The symbol of his faith was the umbrella because he was expecting rain. Here’s my challenge for you. Live like you expect God to follow through on His promises. Put your faith into practice daily. Don’t just be informed by the words of scripture, be transformed.