You are the Salt of the Earth

Image by Grace Pointe Church on their blog {link to http://mygracepointe.com/archive/you-are-the-salt-of-the-earth/}

Matt 5:13 (NKJV)

You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.

Jesus identifies our role and responsibility to the earth as SALTS. We are the salt of the earth. Intrinsically, salt is a sweetener. It is added to give sweetness. In addition, salt is a preservative. It is used to preserve and prevent spoilage. Therefore, we are the sweetness and preservative of the earth.

Now, the earth lacks sweetness of its own. It is also subject to decay and spoilage, that's why our role in the earth is invaluable; we are on earth to act as sweeteners and preservatives. Whatever environment we find ourselves represent "the earth" to us. We are meant to give sweetness to that environment as well as being a preservative and preventing things from going bad. As a consequence of our presence in any environment, things are supposed to get better! That's what salt does and that's our responsibility to the earth. Friends, just like every food needs salt for taste, so also does the earth need us! Until salt is added to cooked food, it isn't sweet no matter the ingredients that have been added, and no matter the mastery of the cook. (S)he must add salt because only salt can add the sweetness to the food. If we refuse to release our sweetness to our environments, it cannot be sweet. It will experience bitterness and acrimony.

Moreover, if salt loses its sweetness, it becomes useless. The only purpose of salt to food is for sweetness (to give taste). Any salt that cannot make food sweet is worthless to the food. Also salt that cannot act as a preservative is valueless to whatever needs preservation. What then becomes the fate of the salt? As Jesus said, not only is it thrown away, it is then trampled on by men. In the same vein, if we lose our sweetness and preservative quality, we become valueless to our environments. It is important to note that our only duty to our environments is to sweeten, preserve, make things better. That's what our environment lacks that it needs from us. The moment we lose our ability to act as salt, we are worthless to our environments and then we'll be 'thrown away and trampled on' by men. We'll be rejected, disregarded, criticized, embarrassed, condemned, etc. Ominously, it is in the nature of the men of the earth to do this to us (Matt 5:11; 10:16). Friends, never lose your sweetness. Never lose your taste. Keep releasing your sweetness to your world. Keep making things better. Keep preserving, sustaining, maintaining and preventing spoilage wherever you find yourself. That's why you are in that environment.

Finally, only we - Christians - can impart sweetness to the earth. Only we, can preserve it. The earth will experience spoilage if we refuse to preserve it and because we are in the earth, we'll be affected. We are invaluable to our world. It cannot do without us. We, therefore, have a duty to the earth to sweeten and preserve it. God bless you.

Prayer:
Lord, I receive grace to sweeten and be a preservative to my world. Help me never to lose my sweetness in Jesus' name, Amen.