Salt and Light

(photo courtesy of medicalxpress.com)

When someone says they’re on a low-salt diet, what comes to mind? The first word that pops into my head is bland. Then I wonder if they have high blood pressure.

But, yes, bland. Who doesn’t love salt? Well, I’m sure there are a few of you out there, but the majority of us love our salt. It not only seasons our foods, but can preserve it, as well. Meat is ‘cured’ with salt, so that it can be stored longer.

So what becomes of foods not preserved? Eat ‘em quick or they’ll rot.

Follow my logic here. Since we, as Christians, are the salt of the earth, per Jesus Himself, when we pull ourselves (or allow ourselves to be pushed) out of the goings on of man, i.e. government, education, media, arts and music, family structure, and day to day life in general, it, too, begins to rot.

Because the Spirit of God lives within us, we are the preservative that prevents rotting and deterioration and breaking down.

When that deterioration begins to infiltrate the church, which it has, we’ve let go of the heart of God and pursued our own lusts and interests.

Jesus said, “I am the Light of the world.” He also told us that we are the light of the world. Because He lives in us, we are to shine His Light into the dark places of our world.

When I flip on a light switch in my home, I don’t look around the room for dark pockets that remain. The light causes the darkness to disappear.

Yet, when I look at my world, I see darkness everywhere. Where is the light? It’s there – but it looks like pockets of light that are not casting away the darkness.

When the light is turned off or removed – darkness overwhelms with chaos.

Our world is very overwhelmed with darkness and chaos.

What have we done with our light?

We’ve “hidden it under a bushel”.

We’ve done so by allowing sin to become acceptable, not only around us – but in our own lives. We pursue our own desires, rather than share God’s heart. We deny Him before man. We neglect His Word and seldom spend quality time with Him. Without quality time, any relationship becomes weak. As our relationship with God weakens, our strength fades and our impact on the world around us becomes less ineffective.

Am I beating a dead horse by exhorting us to commune with God, to study His Word and to seek after His heart?

It’s all essential if you’re a Christian. We need to live up to our name and not allow the world and the enemy of our soul to render us powerless and ineffective in our daily lives or within our societies.

John 811-13 (KJV) Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

Matthew 5:13-15 (KJV) Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.