Transformed Women For Christ

I love that as believers we are the salt and the light. Salt increases flavor while also preserving (symbolic of the covenant) and light reflects the Light of the World.

Food can quickly rot without salt. Most kinds of meat, when refrigerated, only last days to a week before going bad. Dried meat will last forever, though. How do we dry meat? We take the moisture out, apply heat and salt. Are you thinking, well what if I freeze it? Freezing meat does not last forever. It loses flavor over time, some meat doesn’t freeze as well as others, and it can make the meat watery. If you recall in the Old Testament, the priests would throw salt onto the offerings before placing the meat on the altar as a burnt offering. In those ancient Biblical times salt was easily obtainable and it also aided in sanitation.

It goes without saying that warmth and sunshine does affect people’s mood and health. Sunshine and warmth bring people together in social gatherings, increases our productivity and opens us up to exploring new places and experiences. Matthew 5:14 probably comes to mind where Jesus says, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” ESV When we bring light, God’s light, we are literally changing the atmosphere around others in a positive manner.

For those of you who have been a Christian for quite a while, this little message is for you. Sometimes we need motivation. Sometimes we need conviction. Jesus died for you and not just so you can sit back, accept it, and only think about it on Easter Sunday. Let’s always try to recall the work of the cross. Let’s remember that others are out there, completely unaware that they have the answer to everything if only they would open their eyes, ears, hearts and minds. We can only help them if we ourselves are the salt and the light. If we are complacent in our walk, then we are useless as disciples.

Luke 14:34-35 “Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out. Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.” NIV Let’s go be salty!

How do we know that we are the salt and the light? How do we know we’ve stopped being the salt and the light? I would ask you how you feel about your discipleship? Do you feel that you walk with Christ? Are you reading your Bible every day? Do you recall verses or commit some to memory? How many people do you discuss the Bible with every week? Do your friends also share some or all of the same Christian beliefs as you? What are your works doing to show the unbelievers that walking with Christ is life-changing?

Do you feel uncomfortable in convicting sermons? Most people probably do, however, we need that kind of accountability. Telling Christians to go out into dark places and be the light there will more than likely be met with dropped eyes, turning heads, and subtle coughs. They’ve let their salt lose it’s flavor and their light is under the basket. I wonder if they’ve forgotten Psalm 121, “I lift my eyes to the mountains-where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.” We are not alone in this walk. If we are afraid of those dark places, we have merely to ask for God’s strength. If we are weak, and we are, then we have simply to pray for courage. What are these dark places? Wherever there is pain, suffering, poverty and loneliness. Any place where people have pushed aside Jesus and welcomed their own idols.

Modern culture does not welcome Christians to be the salt and the light. We are so pressured on every side to sit down, get off the pulpit, don’t teach Bible prophecy, don’t talk about sin, don’t speak a word about judgement, don’t use Jesus’ name, don’t even use the Bible, and how dare you say “Merry Christmas” in December! Oh friend, go be radical and be salty! In fact, in Jesus’ day it was radical to be salty. We know light and dark are opposites. They cannot dwell together. This tells us just how set apart we should be from the world. It should be obvious to those who meet us that we are different. We are set apart for a future with Christ in heaven. And we welcome you to join us!

It doesn’t take a lot of salt to make food taste better and it doesn’t take a ton of light in the dark to brighten a room. Have you read any of Corrie Ten Boom’s books? They are very motivational and I would recommend them. Quick and easy reads are usually good for Bible studies and these books would be a nice fit for that purpose. Corrie is a person we can relate with on many levels. She wasn’t a Bible scholar nor did she attend seminary. What she did do was improve morale and change the lives of those she came in contact with, glorify God with good works and not herself, placed her faith in Christ even when the options for the future seemed bleak, and boldly proclaimed the work of Jesus Christ on the cross. You don’t need to have a track to hand out or feel gifted with evangelism. You simply speak your beliefs. Live your beliefs. Get back to your first love: Jesus Christ.

Okay, well that’s easy to say, but if I do that I might lose my job, my friends, be alienated or persecuted.

Yes.

Colossians 4:2-6 “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” NIV Paul was thrown in prison and chained for his speech. Are you willing to endure the same for your beliefs? You may be thinking, oh, that’s not going to happen in modern times. It may in the future. We have some very serious, wealthy and dangerous people working hard to eradicate Christians right now. An article from Christianity Today states that 1 in 7 Christians from around the world live in countries where there is high discrimination and persecution. Remember the fate of Jesus’ disciples. Do not fear. You were created for so much more.

Are you wondering where the motivation is? Fair enough. Are you still wondering how do we get back to our first love? How do we go out and be the salt and the light if we’ve been slacking (which we all are guilty of at times)? The church in Ephesus faced this same problem. In Revelation 2: 4-7 John writes, “Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.” NIV

It’s easy to ignore world news, watch secular television, read secular books, get caught up in your hobbies and/or kid’s hobbies/activities and lose the hunger for spiritual growth. And yet. We need conviction. We need to be reminded and get motivated to keep our light shining, to spread salty speech and show how much we love Jesus to everyone we meet. Let your kids see you pray. Let other people see and hear you pray. Take your Bible with you out in public. Never be ashamed of your love for the gospel. Wear that Bible verse bracelet or necklace. Wear that t-shirt or hoodie with your favorite verse on it so start a conversation. Go do community service even though you’re an introvert. Forgive and reconcile relationships. Pray for guidance. Repent.

Other suggestions to get back to Jesus: Listen to worship music, listen to the audio Bible while you do chores or drive to work or run errands. Volunteer at church or within your community and find ways to share your faith. Even a mustard seed can grow tall and strong! Grab a prayer jar or prayer journal. Write down a list of things to be grateful for that the Lord has blessed you with that week. Think about how God is using you or your family to His glory. Praise Him. Pray for others.

Christianity is not a to-do list. It’s a state of being. It is a transformation into a service for Christ that you do out of love not obligation. You can become salty again. You can re-light your lamp. You can regain your first love.