Jesus said that we are the salt of the earth. Unfortunately, something tells me becoming flavorless salt isn't too difficult. When other things take precedence and become more important to us than our relationship with Christ, our salt begins to lose it's taste... till it's just plain bland. When I read this verse, I realized that in my new environment at school, I was beginning to be no different that those who aren't salt to begin with. Then the Lord brought this to my attention. First thought was, "Ouch." But now I'm thankful for that timely wake up call.
The second theme comes from Col 4:5-6. Check it out: "Conduct yourselves wisely toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person."
To get a better idea of what that means, I checked out the NLT version. (Some people will cringe at that, but hey, if it sheds light on a passage, why not?). It actually doesn't even use the word salt: "Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone."
School started a month ago. The last four weeks, I have been surrounded by 'those who are not believers' for the first time and it's been a bit of a reality check for someone who's been home schooled all their life. This verse is incredibly impacting though because it reminds me of our goal as Christians among non-Christians. Not to run in the opposite direction when we encounter non-believers, not to morph into "flavorlessness", not to blast them with "REPENT SINNER!" but to be friendly and gracious and build relationships with them, making the most of the opportunities we are given. That's the way Jesus did it. Lord, make it the way I do it, too.
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