Learning through Life

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Hampshire, United Kingdom
I love how our day-to-day life can teach us lessons to help us understand our past, challenge our today, and inspire our future. We can learn through experiences, situations, conversations, songs, books, nature ... the list is endless! Live with eyes ready to see, ears ready to hear and a heart ready to be touched.

Thursday 5 January 2012

The one with the salt

#6monthBible

Last night, I lay awake thinking about salt.  Not the most exciting of thoughts really, until I realised that perhaps God wanted me to think his Word through in a bit more detail.  Had I missed something?

Yesterday's Bible reading plan led me to that all familiar passage in Matthew, that speaks of Christians being salt and light.  It is a portion of scripture that I know very well, and have spoken on several times in the past.  So, I admit, a fair amount of glossing took place.  I scanned over the words, eager to reach a less familiar scripture for God to speak to me through. My intention was good, I wanted to hear from God; to learn something new and insightful. 

But ... I think I missed the point!!

I picked up Tom Wright's 'The New Testament for Everyone' (brilliant by the way!) and re-read the passage:

'You're the salt of the earth!  But, if the salt becomes tasteless, how is it going to get salty again?  It's no good for anything.  You might as well throw it out and walk all over it.

You're the light of the world!  A city can't be hidden if it's on top of a hill.  People don't light a lamp and put it under a bucket; they put it on a lampstand.  Then it gives light to everybody in the house.  That's how you must shine your light in front of people!  Then they will see what wonderful things you do, and they'll give glory to your Father in Heaven.'' (Matthew 5:13-16)

It was the last verse that struck me as significant.  'That's how you must shine your light in front of people!'  In front of people?  Like a performance in a theatre?

Thinking this through, I backed up a little and thought about salt in this context.  How does this 'in front of people' fit with us being salt of the earth?  

And then, I thought of my salt grinder in the cupboard.  As a family we don't use salt that often, but I do like a bit of salt on my chips.  So, on the rare occasion chips are on the menu, the salt grinder comes out of the cupboard and is placed on the table.  The chips can then be seasoned to taste!  Yum!

But, in order for the salt to actually make a difference to the taste of my chips - it needs to come out of the grinder!  Nothing special happens when it is set free from the container, but it is ineffective all the time it is in there.  

It is the same with our example in the world.  We cannot expect to make a difference unless we get ourselves out of the grinder and into the community.  This isn't about a performance, a 'look at me, aren't I a good Christian', but it is about allowing people to see Jesus in us - so they can see 'what wonderful things we do - AND GIVE GLORY TO OUR FATHER IN HEAVEN!' 

Of course, we need to ensure we are salty, and that requires regular time spent with God, allowing him to season us - but then - let's get out there and make a difference - in our families, our neighbourhoods, our schools, places of work, churches, shopping centres, supermarket queues, Zumba classes ... you get the point!!  Anywhere and everywhere!!  

Prepared to be the salt of the earth?

 

5 comments:

  1. I love these thoughts. Makes me want to set my grinder out to remind me -- Get out of the grinder! I do so yearn to be a light for Christ.

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  2. Exactly - no point in all the salt being lumped together in the grinder!

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  3. Can we think of the 'performance' element to mean walking your talk; John 13:35

    I don't know about you, but I find openly Christian people (broadly) the most congenial people around which to live. The key trait is their desire, energetically expressed, to show Christ in their lives & communities to others.

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  4. I love this -- and am challenged by it. Thanks! :-)

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  5. LOVE this!!! <3 made me think of Romans 1:16 :D

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