Faithful on Fridays Blog

Living a Salty Life

When I was growing up I was accustomed to good, flavorful food since my dad was a chef; he taught me the value of cooking well for my family. My two sons also enjoy cooking, in fact, one wants to join Giada’s (Food Network) family! 

Within the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5) Jesus used the metaphor of salt, a food enhancer, to declare ways we can be an influencer in our world. 

You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless. Matthew 5:13 

Jesus gave believers a warning: stay salty. What exactly did He mean? Well, let’s consider the natural attributes (the lower story) of salt:

• Salt is purifying, even it’s color is pure white.

• Salt brings out pungency, therefore it’s used as a flavor enhancer or seasoning.

• Salt has penetrating, preservative power.

• Salt is used as an antiseptic that cleanses and delays decay and deterioration.

• Salt is invisible when dissolved, but you taste it’s presence.

• Salt has healing property (2 Kings 2:19-22).

Since Jesus declared believers to be the salt of the earth and remain salty it’s necessary to consider the spiritual attributes (the upper story) of salt. 

• Spiritual salt helps you live your life in purity, flee temptation, and maintain a pure heart.

• You influence your world with the salty boldness, the pungency, of the Holy Spirit. Your life lived in Christ will be a seasoning, a flavor enhancer, to help others in their walk with Jesus. 

• When you allow the Holy Spirit to penetrate every area of your life, like salt, He will preserve, guard, and protect you on every rocky path you walk. 

• If there are areas in your life that seem to be breaking down or disintegrating, the salt of the Holy Spirit will cleanse you from any sin and allow new life to form.

• Since salt is invisible you know God is working in you by changing your willing heart and giving new attitudes and responses: you’ll think differently. When we’re salted our words reflect grace and peace (Col. 4:6) toward others.

• The spiritual healing we need is brought about by salting our lives with self-sacrifice and humility. There’s no other way.

God actually established a Covenant of Salt with His people described in Lev. 2:13 and Num. 18:19. It’s a foreshadow of the offering we give to God: ourselves. He’s serious about salting our lives and living in His peace and wholeness because He knows man’s heart; we lean toward self-centeredness instead of others-centeredness.

Salt is good for seasoning. But if it loses its flavor, how do you make it salty again? You must have the qualities of salt among yourselves and live in peace with each other. Mark 9:50 

That’s pretty clear. Let’s live our lives as a salty-sacrifice to God. It’s the higher life; it’s actually true kingdom living.