“Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt…” (Colossians 4:5)
James Beard, father of modern American cookery, asks, “Where would cooking be without salt?” The answer is bland.
Author Stephanie Huesler wrote a detailed article on her website about the history of salt, entitled "The Salt of the Matter." In it she talks about how salt is a mineral made mostly of sodium chloride. It is present in oceans, tidal pools, ponds, mines deep in the earth and more. Salt is essential for life in general. It’s one of the five basic tastes – sweet, sour, bitter, umami and salty.
It’s a disinfectant that has military and culinary connotations. However, it’s the metaphor of salt as spiritual seasoning that Jesus uses in the Sermon on the Mount, instructing his disciples on how to speak and conduct themselves:
“You are the salt of the earth…” (Matthew 5:13)
As important as our countenance, our conduct and our character are in witnessing to unbelievers, it’s not always possible to lead someone to Christ without speech, so how we say something is important. As salt (and light), Christians are to walk in holy separateness from the rest of the world, which is centered on self and earthly pleasures.
Jesus continues his sermon with a warning: “…but if the salt has lost its flavor, how can it be made salty again? It’s no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.” (Matthew 5:13)
Just as some food without salt is bland, insipid, dull and tasteless, so followers of Jesus who have no zeal or zest for sharing their faith may struggle to be witnesses of the Gospel.
If Christ is central in our lives, the gospel will drive our speech, our conduct and how we invest our time and money.
Former NFL punter and current chaplain of the University of Oregon football team, Josh Bidwell is an example of what God can do when His followers commit to doing everything “as unto the Lord and not to men.” (Colossians 3:23)
“I don’t try to be clever,” Bidwell says of his ministry style. “I give players the Word of God, and they get excited about what they hear. They see how excited I am about my faith, and they want what I have. And what I have is the story of Jesus and salvation.” ("It’s All about God," Decision).
Being a good, honest and upright person requires self-discovery. Author A.W. Tozer, in his book "That Incredible Christian," suggests seven rules for helping us discover who we are. They’re not a test of how pious or righteous we are, but questions that can reveal truths about ourselves that we’ve never considered — questions that help us keep our flavor as Christians.
In this series, we’ve examined four of these rules – What do I want? What do I think about most? What company do I choose? Who do I admire most? Here are the remaining three:
5. How do I use my money? What we do with what’s left over, after the living expenses are paid, will speak volumes about who we are.
6. How do I spend my leisure time? “Most people waste leisure staring at the TV," Tozer writes. "What I do reveals the kind of person I am.”
7. What makes me laugh/smile? Give this one some serious thought…
These rules not only help us discover who we are; they also help us know others, for much of self-discovery comes from our relationships.
The next time you grab a salt shaker to season your food, think of its metaphorical and spiritual implications. “When seen under a microscope, salt takes on a grandeur that has thumbprints of a grand Designer.” (TGC Collective)
