Salty Believers

“You are the salt of the earth. But if 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 by men” (Matthew 5:13).

Those who heard Jesus speak about salt knew the importance of salt. Fishermen packed their fish in salt for safe shipping. Farmers spread salt on their fields to increase the sodium chloride content of their crops. Families used salt to preserve and flavor their food. However, if a family discovered its salt had become contaminated with gypsum or other minerals, family members would toss it outdoors and into a road. In time pedestrians would trample it into the ground.

Jesus identified believers as “the salt of the earth” and indicated it is possible for them to lose their saltiness. He wants us to retain our saltiness—to serve as a preservative against moral decay in society and to add flavor to daily life.

Jesus cares about our role in society. He wants us to be effective messengers of His good news in a world that receives so little good news. If we retain our saltiness, our words and our behavior may draw others to Him. It is easy to focus on the moral decay that is weakening the texture of contemporary life. But effective believers respond proactively by spreading “salt” in liberal doses.

It has been observed, “You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink. But what if you first give the horse some salt?”


Written by Jim Dyet © Haven Ministries