NOTE: The following is an edited re-post of my original post from 8-26-19. A lot has changed since then, but not our calling to be salt and light. I think this post fits perfectly into our discussion of living for God in a Godless world.
How can Christians make a difference in the world? Are we supposed to just sit on the sideline, hoping and praying that things will get better and that more people will know Christ? Or is there something that we’re supposed to be doing?
Jesus answered that question in Matthew 5:
“You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it useful again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless. You are the light of the world – like a city on a mountain, glowing in the night for all to see. Don’t hide your light under a basket! Instead, put it on a stand and let it shine for all. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.” (Matthew 5:13-16)
What in the world does it mean to be salt? We tend to think of salt as something that makes food taste better, but in Jesus’ day, even in my grandparents’ day, salt was known primarily as a food preserver.
One morning I took my kids to eat a big country breakfast. My daughter asked me, “Dad, what’s the difference between city ham and country ham?” So being a good dad I went into a long explanation of how city ham is lightly cured and refrigerated, and it gets its name because refrigeration was only available in the city, whereas country ham is dry-cured by being packed in salt and doesn’t need refrigeration due to the salt, that it will taste salty, and that it has its name because salt-curing was the only way to preserve meat out in the country. She ordered some eggs with country ham, and I will never forget the look on her face when her plate came to the table with one humongous piece of ham that completely overflowed her plate. She has never forgotten the difference between city ham and country ham.
Of the many uses of salt that Jesus was pointing to, one is that salt is used to preserve, and we are to be salt in our world, not people who conform to the world. Our culture is going rotten, and we as Christians are to preserve the truth about right and wrong. The world is going crazy, but we are its reminder that there is right and there is wrong and there are consequences for our actions.
Salty Christians are the people who refuse to cheat on a test when they have the opportunity, even though it could make a big difference to them. Salty Christians are the people who turn down a promotion because even though it means a lot more money, it also means a lot more time away from their family, and they’ve made family a priority. Salty Christians are the guys who go on business trips with other guys who think that marriage rules don’t apply when they’re on the road, and the salty guy stays at the motel instead of going out. Salty Christians stand up and point out the evil of things the Bible calls sin, even if taking that stand means going completely against the flow of culture.
But you’re not just salt. Jesus says you’re also the light of the world. This means that our lives and our words should always light the path to Jesus. As believers, we are to live our lives in such a way that people see our lives, our decisions, our words, our integrity, and they connect the way we live with our relationship with Jesus.
Years ago, the switch on our dryer door went bad. The dryer wouldn’t operate without the door closed, but the broken switch wouldn’t “tell” the dryer that the door was closed, so the dryer wouldn’t operate. A friend came over to the house to replace the switch, which was much less expensive than purchasing a new dryer. The only thing is, he wired it wrong, so that while it allowed the dryer to operate, now the light inside the dryer turned on when you closed the door, and it turned off when you opened the door. So for years, we had to leave the dryer door open when not in use to keep the light turned off. And the whole time the dryer was running, the light was on inside, where it was useless. The light was there, but it didn’t accomplish its purpose.
We have a purpose, and that purpose is to light the way in a dark world and lead people to Jesus. As you go through life, you’re different from the world, you take stands, you refuse to go along with the crowd, but you don’t do those things to bring attention to yourself. Your purpose is to point people to Jesus.
Yes, it’s a dark world. And yes, there are too many Christian who would rather complain about the darkness instead of getting their light out from under a basket. But you don’t have to be that way.
Be an honest person, be a caring person, tell people you will pray for them, and then actually do it. Most of the people you know probably have had very few people to pray for them by name. Serve people, love people, and be honest and open about the fact that the reason you are the way you are is because of your relationship with Jesus. Grow in your walk with God so that what people see in you, when times are good and when you’re dealing with difficulty and stress, is a reflection of Jesus. Be the light that points the way to Jesus.
Wherever you are, you’re salt and light. Jesus didn’t say this is what we should be, he said it’s what we are. On your job, in your family, in your class, on your team, in your neighborhood, you are the salt of the earth and the light of the world. If you want this world to be a better place, ask yourself if you are being the salt and light you are called to be.