There aren’t many foods that we don’t add salt to. Salt goes in all the savory meals from steak to spaghetti. It goes in sweet foods like cakes and cookies. It’s in breads and pastries. Without this grainy white substance, what we eat tastes like cardboard – bland and flavorless. But add just a tiny amount, and the flavor of our food is enhanced to a new depth that makes our taste buds sing! Salt makes things so good!  

In Matthew 5:13, Jesus tells his disciples that they are salt. “You are the salt of the earth,” he says. They were called to bring richness, flavor, the goodness of his gospel message to the world.

Do we bring goodness to those around us? 

Our words and actions should reflect the love of Chirst. As Christians, hopefully people can sense the joy and the hope that our live are centered around. We are called to stand out for him.

When we are walking the road of something difficult, we have even more of a chance to be impactful to those around us. How are we reacting to our situation? Are we constantly grumbling and complaining? Are we consumed with ourselves and our problems? Do people avoid us because we will just bring them down? Or do people see us reacting in a godly way?

This doesn’t mean we should put on a fake smile and act like everything is fine when it’s not. Nor does it mean we have to be strong twenty-four hours of every single day. It means being transparent –  allowing others to see our heartache and pain, but also letting them see our reliance on God and our trust in him as we navigate the pain. When people see us struggling but still faithfully seeking God and clinging on to hope, it gives testimony to God and the strength he provides. It can help others find hope as well. And that is salty!

I experience this every time I visit a Hope is Alive recovery home. The residents of the homes are people of all ages and all walks of life who have drawn an unlucky card – the disease of addiction. Often they have lost jobs, relationships, and health due to the effects of the disease. Yet they are fighting. They are facing hard things every day to stay sober, but they are supporting one another and looking to God for guidance. They give him credit for their sobriety and their strength. They inspire me to be strong as well! This is exactly what Jesus is talking about when he says in verse 16 that when others see our good works, it glorifies our Father in heaven.

As Christians, we are always on display for God. Let’s be intentional about being salt in the world today, even as we struggle, grieve, and suffer. God is using you for his glory!