Mathew 5:13

Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savor, wherewith shall it be salted?

I love to cook. I love flavor. There isn't anything that tastes better than buttered and salted popcorn or a taco chip with lime and salt. While in Mexico years ago I was introduced to jicima. We bought it from a man on the beach that put a handful of jicima in plastic bag. He added salt and squeezed lime in the bag, zipped it shut and shook it. I couldn't get enough of it.

I decided to have company for dinner after a long sabbatical. We set a Victorian style table with individual salt and pepper shakers. My husband happened to see that when the shaker turned on its side the salt stayed where it was. He took a toothpick and dug out the salt and tasted it. It had very little taste. Not only was it damp but it didn't taste like salt should.

Why do we use salt? Salt enhances flavor. So it is with spirituality. When we become Christians God puts in us a desire to enlighten the world around us. We want everyone saved from their sin. We tell people our testimony to share the change God has made in our lives. We smile a lot and speak kind words to others encouraging them in their walk.

As time, maybe years go by, we may lose a little of the vibrancy we once had. We get busy with the business of DOING for the Lord and forget to renew that which was once a living spirit in us. Our Salt. We attend church, sing in the choir, teach Sunday School and drive a van to bring others to and from services. We go in the side/back door and straight to our duty. When its all said and done we speak to those who we see every service in the same capacity and go out the way we came in. Pretty soon we are in such a routine we have lost touch with our saltiness. There are those who attend the service that could use a word of encouragement, a smile, a hug, a pat on the arm or shoulder that says we are glad they attended the service.

I can hear the mental response, "We have a greeting team that does that every week." I'm sure most churches do. It is OUR salt God wants to renew. By stepping out of our comfort zone or routine, who knows what blessing awaits us?

I heard a story that has stuck with me. A man quit coming to church. When the pastor asked him why, he said he didn't need to be in church to worship the Lord, he could do it just as well from home. The Pastor asked if he might come for a visit and the man agreed, assured the pastor couldn't change his mind. When the pastor arrived the man showed him to a chair near the fire. The Pastor sat but said nothing. He took a scoop and picked up a glowing ember from the fire and set it on the hearth. The two men watched the glowing ember flicker for a little bit then slowly cool until it was black. The pastor once again picked up the now cooled ember and set it into the fire where immediately it began to glow and heat. The man turned to the pastor and said, "Sir, you don't say a lot, but you say a lot. I'll be in church next service." God wants us to flavor our church.

We need to have the salt or spirit in our lives alive, fresh, ready to be a voice for God to use where we're needed. Even if you aren't able to do any of the jobs I listed above, your salt is important. Your prayers and words of encouragement are used by God when works might not be accepted.

One of my favorite books is; This Present Darkness by Frank E. Perretti. The prayer of one woman caused a reaction that defeated the works of the Devil in a town. That book touched the hearts of many people who read it. Prayer is powerful. As we move among the non-believers or backsliders of this world we can be that salt that brings a life to the gospel. We don't know who God is working on and our actions and words might be the salt that savors their lives and causes them to answer God's call.

Don't let your saltiness go stale. I don't mean the saltiness of your conversation, that's another topic, I mean keep your relationship with the Lord fresh, up to date. You never know who is feeling a little bland.