Are you still salty?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
(Matthew 5:13 (NIV))

No one wants to be discarded, to be thrown out. It is human nature to walk away from something if we think we are going to be let go, terminated or thrown out. Chalk it up to pride, but we do this because we want to convince ourselves that it was our idea to leave or change directions. We are not willing to admit that we have failed and that we are no longer good at something. We try to turn the tables so that it looks like we still have the upper hand.

Do you know anyone who has ever done this?

Are you that person?

No one is perfect in this fallen world. There will be times that we all face circumstances just like the ones described above, but there is one endeavor that we do not want to be discarded from, let go from or thrown out from. We do not want to lose our zeal for the mission that we have been given.

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
(Matthew 28:19-20 (NIV))

We are to go and make disciples. We are to reflect the light of Jesus to a dark and sinful world. We are to bring the good news of Jesus Christ to the world. We are to share God’s plan for having an abundant life both here on this earth as well as in eternity. We are to add the “salt” that adds flavor, that adds hope to a world that has lost all hope. If we, as members of the Body of Christ, lose that hope, then what good can we do? We can’t share what we no longer have. We will have become just like the darkened world that has lost all hope.

The phrase, “Once saved, always saved,” comes to mind in relation to people losing their saltiness. If we can lose our saltiness, our hope, our faith, and be thrown out and trampled underfoot, then what does that mean in relation to salvation? Suffice it to say that this is a topic for many more words and discussions than what can be easily conveyed here. It is something that everyone who professes a faith in Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior must stop and take a serious look at with respect to their life, their faith, their hope, and, of course, their saltiness.

Are you still salty?

Copyright 1998 – 2021 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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Has your salt been trampled on?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living

You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
(Matthew 5:13 (NIV))

What do you do with things when they get worn out and ineffective?

We live in a world where things degenerate. Do you still have the same shoes that you did two years ago? If you do, are they still in the same shape they were when you first got them? If you have worn them at all, then I can safely say that they are not in that same shape. This world has a habit of wearing things down. Even our bodies are not immune to the effects of this world.

The sad thing is that too many people allow the world to have the same impact on their faith as it does on all other things in this life. We need to be careful to not let the temptations of this world distract us. We don’t need to lose sight of the power that is in the name of Jesus! That power is enough to sustain us for all eternity, but if we don’t keep our eyes on Jesus, we lose sight of that power and then we lose that power.

Salt has many uses. Most people today only think of salt as a seasoning for food, but it has far greater capabilities. For centuries, salt was used to preserve meat and fish. It would be packed around the meat or fish and it would draw out the moisture. It would draw out the very thing that, if left, would have caused things to deteriorate. This left the meat or fish in a state where it would provide life giving nourishment to those who would eat it. If we are the salt of the earth, it is our job to draw out the very thing that brings death to the world. It is our job to fill the world with the Gospel. If we lose sight of what we are called to do, then we are not fulfilling our purpose.

Don’t let your faith be trampled on so much that you lose sight of God’s purpose for you!

Has you salt been trampled on?

Copyright 1998 – 2017 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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Have we lost our saltiness?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ^©

You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
(Matthew 5:13 (NIV))

I know that everyone knows what salt is, but have you truly thought about the functions that it serves, but historically and current day?

Salt is, of course, a seasoning. It is used to add flavor to food. Seasonings bring out the best in taste in whatever they are added to. Seasonings make everyday things better by adding something special into the mix. We, as the Body of Christ, are supposed to add something special into the mix. We are to add Jesus. We are to add love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness and self-control into the world. We are to add the invitation to grace and mercy into the mix of sin and death that has taken over this world.

Salt, in larger amounts, is also a preservative. All throughout human history it has been used to preserve food so that it would be stored and used over longer periods of time.

No matter which way you look at the use of salt, it has an amazing effect on what it touches.

Are we the salt of the earth?

Do we have an amazing effect for God’s Kingdom on what we touch, or do we simply leave no indication that we have even been here? Have we lost our saltiness? Have we lost the ability to let people know of the grace and mercy that is theirs through the amazing gift that Jesus so freely gave on the cross?

Copyright 1998 – 2017 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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What do you think about most of the time?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ^©

Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
(Colossians 3:2 (NIV))

What do you think about most of the time? Are you worried about finances? Is it health concerns that have you in thought? Is there a loved one who has strayed and you desire for them to return? Do you find yourself worried about the state of our politicians and their direction or lack of direction? If you are like me, there are countless things that can distract you from thinking about what you should contemplate.

Don’t get me wrong! We need to think of these things. We can’t focus only on heaven and ignore the world in which we live. Have you ever heard someone described as being so heaven minded that they are no earthly good. Jesus called us to be salt and light to the world. He did not call us to accept Him and shut out the world.

You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.
(Matthew 5:13 (NIV))

We cannot turn our backs on the things of this world. We must be a part of this world. We need to do it in a manner that brings glory to God and not in a manner that brings worry to ourselves. We must show people that they too have an opportunity for hope. We must set our minds on Jesus and allow the Holy Spirit to guide us so that we become active members of the Body of Christ. Each member of a body has a function. We must perform our function so that others may see Jesus. We are not to shut ourselves up and ignore the world. What good do we do when this happens? What good will our salt be to the people around us?

Copyright 1998 – 2015 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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