One of the most prevalent comments is, “This dish needs more salt.” Salt is not an item that you feature in your dish, but rather it is a catalyst that brings out the flavor of the other ingredients. Recently, I added more salt to a creamy salad. When I tasted it again I did not taste the salt, but the hint of lemon that was in the sauce was more easily detected. When making chicken soup from boiling the bones, the broth may be rather bland at first. Add that small amount of salt and the rich chicken flavor pops out to tantalize the taste buds.
As Christians we are the salt of the earth. Jesus spoke these words to the multitudes who sought to follow Him. “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste (its strength, its quality), how can its saltness be restored? It is not good for anything any longer but to be thrown out and trodden underfoot by men.” (Matthew 5:13 AMP) We are called by God to enhance what the lost and dying world sees of the love and work of our Heavenly Father in this generation.
We live our lives following the two greatest Commandments. “And He replied to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind (intellect). This is the great (most important, principal) and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as [you do] yourself.” (Matthew 22:37-39 AMP) Love the Lord and others. This is truly taste enhancing salt. By following this directive, we will draw attention to the heartbeat of God. God desires to restore relationships with mankind.
Loving others through kind acts of service points people to our
loving Father. It is God's heart to draw mankind back to himself. “It was God
[personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself, not counting up and holding against [men] their
trespasses [but cancelling them], and committing to us the message of
reconciliation (of the restoration to favor).” (2 Corinthians 5:19
AMP) When others see us acting as we are
truly called to act, we will point out others to Him. Just after Jesus called His
followers ‘salt’ He added that we were to be ‘light’ and said, “Let
your light so shine before men that they may see your moral excellence and your praiseworthy, noble, and good deeds and recognize and honor and praise and
glorify your Father Who is in heaven. (Matthew 5:16 AMP)” Living as salt and light
draws others not to ourselves but to God.
Jesus also spoke about the
possibility of salt losing its saltiness. “Salt is good (beneficial), but if salt has lost its saltness, how will
you restore [the saltness to] it? Have salt within yourselves, and be at peace and live in harmony with one another.” (Mark 9:50 AMP) Crystals that no longer have the taste and composition of
salt will not work well in recipes. Self-centered behavior and lukewarm passion
for God will not bring life to those around. Words about Christ will have little
impact on others when the one speaking those words does not exhibit a life that
has been transformed by Him. We must live the truth we believe.
As we bring salt into the actions of our
daily lives, those around us will take notice. They may ask why we reach out to
help, or why we readily forgive. We are now invited to share our experience
with Jesus Christ. “But in your hearts set Christ apart
as holy [and acknowledge Him] as Lord. Always be ready to give a logical
defense to anyone who asks you to account for the hope that is in you, but do
it courteously and respectfully.” (1 Peter 3:15 AMP) The salt of our
actions leads to a tasty bite of the work of Jesus Christ.
So be salt by
outwardly loving others as Jesus has loved you. The world is hungry for each
delicious bite.
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