Salt Shakers

"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." Matthew 5:13

When we were helping my father-in-law sell his home of over 45 years in Raleigh possessions had to be donated and cabinets had to be cleaned out. I remember specifically emptying cabinet upon cabinet of old bottles of vinegar, spices and expired pantry items. I couldn’t believe how many things had been pushed back to the darkness of the shelves. I found many shakers of salt that no longer would shake. The salt has become a solid state and completely useless. My father-in-law loved camping so I imagine each trip included a purchase of salt and pepper just in case. This verse today reminded me of that time we were helping him go through his things. We threw all of those salt containers away.

When Jesus spoke the words above, He made sure we understood that we already possess our saltiness and it is our choice how we would season the world. This morning as I read this verse I began considering ‘seasons of salt’ throughout my life. Some seasons I was happy to be pushed to the back of the shelf making myself invisible because the journey was too tough. Other seasons God used my circumstances to shake out testimonies which gave my pain purpose. Other than an essential ingredient in our food, salt is also used ‘for healing wounds, cleansing bacteria and ridding fabric of stains. Perhaps the most significant use of salt in Jesus’ day was the way it was used as a preservative…Jesus’ metaphor is clear: we’re to be salt that slows down the decay of this world’ Finding God Faithful, Kelly Minter, p. 80.

When we season our world with the flavor of Christ, we add to the world the beauty of God, preserving His message. We become that much needed ingredient in a melting pot of hurt hearts, infectious hate and sin stains across the fabric of our world. It takes every one of us to sprinkle the love of Christ and the Word of God. When we lose our saltiness, we lose our purpose…when we fail to season our culture, we miss our opportunity to partner with God. Our saltiness is the overflow of our sacredness towards God. We must be a salt shaker in our area of the world, and sprinkle our days with the impact and effectiveness that God has planned for each of us.