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 on by men. Mathew 5:13

As Christians we need to challenge ourselves into measuring our efforts up against the taste of real salt. If salt is the ultimate measure therefore, how close or how far are we in our taste? What difference are we making in the world? Have there been any noticeable changes since we got born again? Do we participate in the service ministries in our churches be they Sunday school or counseling? Are we prayerful enough to the extent that we can positively impact on the next generation? Our Pastor recently asked us these questions that left us all pensive and wondering about our Christianity.

The beatitudes in Mathew 5:1-11 help us appreciate the kind of taste that we should have as well as the character that we should adopt as Christians. We need to therefore appreciate our uniqueness and be contagious to those that are tasteless in the world. Although we are in the world, we are not of the world and should therefore flee persecution from the enemy, remaining steadfast in our beliefs and maintaining our distinctiveness.

The call to serve God is not a private spiritual matter. We represent Christ whose faith we profess and must seek to influence the world publicly. Being in the public domain means that we will constantly be scrutinized and judged; it is imperative that we score highly on the scales of measurement. The world should be dancing to our tune and not the other way round. Salt has certain qualities that stand out and it is these that we should seek to uphold; it preserves, it is associated with purity, it flavors and it causes thirst.

Firstly, through the ages, salt has been used as a preservative especially for foods such as fish and meat. In the same way, we are called upon to preserve the purity of the society in a morally corrupt world by our actions and words. God preserved Lot and his family because he was an upright and blameless man. There will be times when people will be preserved because of us; when punishments will be overlooked because of our faith and steadfastness in our walk with the Lord; when accidents will leave people unhurt because of our prayerful presence in vehicles. Our God is not a rigid God and His love remains boundless for the righteous.

Secondly, in the book of 2Kings 2:19-22, Elisha used salt as a purifying agent for the water. Salt has been used in covenants that are meant to last forever. It was used in reconciliations symbolizing that a covenant could not be violated. It is also used to purify gold. Its importance as a purifying agent cannot be overstressed. We are called upon as Christians to purify the world with the message of Christ. This should also be reflected in our lifestyles. In 2Corinthians 6:17-18 we are asked to be separate and not like the rest of the world.

Thirdly, salt is a seasoning that is used in food to bring out its flavor and this is expected to be pleasant. We should bring out God’s flavor to those who have not had an encounter with Christ, in the way that we handle ourselves with the gift of the Holy Spirit of kindness, patience, love and self control. All possible opportunities should be used to bring out the true taste of God. True salt does not lose its taste. When we lose that passion for God we become dull, sluggish, monotonous and prone to making foolish decisions.

Lastly, the way that we decide to live our lives must be in a way that makes others thirst for God. Salt causes thirst and if people see us and dismiss us instead of wishing to be like us, then we are not true salt. If we are unable to bring out a thirst for God in others, then we need to re-examine ourselves, our lives and our beliefs. We could be the only ones in offices or in the family who know Christ but even as these circumstances, we must stand out.

Let us see if our attitudes and behaviors are sending out the wrong signals out there. If we are still encased in cocoons of hatred, jealousy, envy, gossip and filthy language, then we know we are not being the salt of the earth that entails that we be new creations in love, peace, patience, compassion and humility. Salt that has lost value or its saltiness can only be thrown out and be trampled on by men. Let us not make others abhor Christianity. The choice remains ours to make…where are we in this?