When Jesus stated that "we" the Church are the salt of the earth, He was speaking of our calling in Christ to be an influence. That is a concept that can be applied to Believers corporately and also for us as individuals. Salt is a preservative, but more importantly, it is a powerful flavor. Everyone knows what salt tastes like! It is perhaps the strongest flavor in cooking--and if you have ever overused it, you found out that a little goes a long way. Salt has a powerful influence over the way things taste and it seems to find its way into almost every food product that is sold.
Just as salt influences the flavor of almost everything we eat, so the Church is to be an influence in the culture. If we come to a place in time where we are no longer influencing the thinking and actions of the culture it is an indication that we have somehow lost our "flavor" or saltiness. Statistics would indicate that this has happened within the North American Church over the last few decades. We simply are not as strong an influence as we used to be. In fact, some of the data indicates that the present Pop Culture is having a greater influence on the Church and those children growing up in the church than the other way around. This needs to change!
The ultimate loss for salt that is no longer salty, according to Jesus, is that it is "good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men." I suppose this is already happening and explains why Hollywood always portrays the Church in a bad light, and why the Church is being targeted by those who want to discredit our value to society. What is the solution? It is really simple: Get Salty! We do that by returning to our First Love--Our Source--Our Rock--Our God... He is the force that makes us the Salt of the Earth!!
Prayer: "Dear Heavenly Father, I humble myself before You, knowing how dependent I am on You and You alone. It is so easy for me to drift--to cool off--to slip into a place a apathy. But, I am convinced that You called and saved me for greater purposes than that. As I abide in You please empower my life with spiritual vitality and moral integrity. Cause me to speak up and be counted. May I walk in Your love and in Your power! Amen"
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