I have been through some stuff in my life as a child of God and believe deeply that those experiences that I have been through were actually strengthening me, working to purify my character and walk with Christ. I must tell you that as a child of God, I need a pure character, I want a pure character, I pray for a pure character …and I must have a pure character if I am to be of use to anybody.
I looked up what salt was made of and the important role that it plays in the health and welfare of the human body and was reminded (because I had forgot) that salt is made up of two very poisonous elements, Sodium and Chlorine. Separately, they can burst into flames or become a poisonous gas and take the very life that it is meant to influence or even save. But together they provide something very good and beneficial. Salt is vital to human life. We can't live without it. Our body has about eight ounces of salt in it. That’s enough to put into a salt shaker. Salt regulates the water in our cells, aids muscle contraction, nerve impulses, and heartbeats. Without that vital salt, our body would go into convulsions and we would die. Salt has many benefits other than the ones I have mentioned in my little scientific explanation of what salt does to the human body. It also bears many other wonderful benefits as well. Scientist have even learned to manipulate the negative components of Sodium and Chlorine to benefit mankind as well. So, really everything about salt is beneficial to us.
God once destroyed the earth because the earth had lost almost all its spiritual saltiness excluding Noah and his family. As children of God, we should supply the zest and flavor to life that others look at and hunger for. That's what Christianity is about. It is a rare person who will spend their life to better the flavor of someone else. Just the other day I was tested to be salt to someone who was on my last nerve. It did not matter who was right and who was wrong the Holy Spirit convicted me; what matters was, who was being salt, who was acting like Jesus. That’s when I bowed my head and said, “yes Lord, I understand”, and began to write this devotion. Oh Lord Jesus, I don’t want to be right! I want to be a silent lamb being led to slaughter…the slaughter of my flesh. I was reminded about how Jesus when He was before Pilot was silent, He did not say a word even though he had every right to defend himself and set the record straight….he stayed quiet…..only the wise can see the strength in that silence. Just as His father was His defense…the Lord Jesus is our defense…and with Him on our side we need no other defense.
In the Old Testament God told His children to season all their grain offerings with salt. Salt was symbolic of God’s righteousness. That is what Jesus was saying to His followers….you are the righteousness of God…so act like it and others can see God through your life by how you act and how you live…..and by your behavior ….it will cause them to question their own actions, that is the purpose of us being salt to the world.
I remember as a young girl someone at school told me that if you put salt on a slug it would dissolve it. Being the young scientist that I was, I hurried home and began testing it to see if they had told me the truth. Well, I can not say that it dissolved it enough to make it disappear, but I can promise you this; after the salt had made its metamorphic change on that slug, it was different! Salt brings change wherever or on whatever it is poured out upon. Now granted, my little story may not be as profound as some could tell it, but the point remains to be the same. Jesus said that we are salt. That means that we are going to have a profound effect on others one way or another. If we are living as we should, the effect will be a positive one.
However, if we are not living and acting like the righteousness of God… we will still have an effect on people but it will be a negative effect.
I fear that many times we are sidetracked in trying to act like Christians instead of living out the Christian life that God allows us the freedom and ability to live. Being a Christian is not at all about acting ….its about being….once a person becomes a child of God, the scripture says that God himself begins to sanctify them, to change them from their old ways to His ways giving them a new identity as to Who they represent. Salt is of no use unless it is poured out and used.
May you be a salt shaker and bring God's flavor to someone today!
Loving you,
Bren
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