"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
A group of college girls were discussing, in a Bible study, the Sermon on the Mount, and were asking why Christians are like salt. All thought of course of salt's preservative qualities. Then a Chinese girl in the group suggested quietly, "Salt creates thirst." The truth went home. Christians are not only to bring joy and comfort to the lives of others, and they should create a thirst for the things of God. Our lives should be such that people would continually come to us and ask us to explain ourselves.—Sunday School Times.
Salt has been used by humans for thousands of years for a variety of purposes, from food preservation to seasoning. The Chinese pioneered the harvesting of salt for human consumption. “Salt has played a prominent role in determining the power and location of the world's great cities. Liverpool rose from just a small English port to become the prime exporting port for the salt dug in the great Cheshire salt mines and thus became the entry port for much of the world's salt in the 19th century. Salt created and destroyed empires. The salt mines of Poland led to a vast kingdom in the 16th century, only to be demolished when Germans brought in sea salt (which most of the world considered superior to rock salt).”
It is, therefore, not surprising that Jesus calls his disciples the salt of the earth. In light of the many options we now have to preserve and season food, many of us may not appreciate the value that salt had in Jesus’ day. These days, the medical community has advised people to abstain from using too much salt. Some people try to avoid using salt altogether for health reasons.
The answer given by the Chinese girl in the group Bible study about the reason Christians are considered as salt is revelatory. Indeed, Christians should create a thirst for the things of God. We should influence the lives of others in such a way as to create a thirst in them to imitate Christ and to model righteousness.
How do Christians create a thirst in others? By living like Christ, loving like Christ, serving like Christ, and allowing the light of Christ in us to lead others out of the darkness. Our humility should make others thirst for a spirit of humility. Our words should be so filled with grace that others will thirst for more grace.
People in our circle of influence should want to imitate us as we imitate Christ. Our integrity should influence their conduct, their personal and business relationships. People should come to us to ask why we are so forgiven to those who hurt us, so patient to those who abuse us, so kind to those who disrespect us, and so loving to those who hate us.
Whenever someone has an encounter with us, they should want to come back for more edification and inspiration. Christians should be a reservoir of compassion, godliness, and encouragement. People should continue to come to us so we can lead them to the one who can mend their brokenness, restore them from their waywardness, and transform them from their fallenness.
A disciple of Jesus Christ should never lose its saltiness. People should never stop asking us why we love Christ so much. They should never stop coming to us so we can pray for them and their families. Nor should they ever stop coming to us to ask questions about the Bible and salvation. Therefore, we should not get irritated or frustrated when people ask us to give an account of our faith in Jesus Christ. People will continue to ask us why we do not do certain things, or why we go to church frequently, or why we read the Bible consistently, or why biblical principles shape our lives. They ask those questions because we are the salt of the earth, they thirst for our godliness.
Prayer- Heavenly Father, please help us not to lose our saltiness. May those that are struggling in their spiritual walk find the courage and godliness to stir up a thirst in the lives of others.