It’s Possible to Salt Your World One Dollar at a Time
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
Salt in itself is a necessary mineral to sustain life for both humans and animals. It’s hard to find a recipe for soup that doesn’t call for salt. A hard-boiled egg without adding a dash of salt is going to taste quite bland. Slice an avocado, shake some sea salt on top and the flavor is suddenly all the better.
Of all food preservatives, salt is the most widely used.
History tells of its economic importance as a traded commodity throughout the world for thousands of years. Salt was so valuable it was even known as white gold.
While touring in Austria, I had the opportunity to visit a salt mine deep in the earth. It was both fascinating and informational. Salt and its many uses will always be an important element of life. Salt flavors and preserves. No wonder there are more than 30 references to salt in the Bible.
What might it look like to see ourselves, and the use of our money, as a sprinkling of salt?
How might we flavor our relationships, our communities, our spheres of influence? In what ways can our saltiness preserve others?
- Take the shaker out of the cupboard. Like salt, it does no good to keep “ourselves” behind closed doors. Dare to step in—in positive ways. That could mean lending a hand or giving some dollars.
- Salt must be fresh and loose; don’t allow it to cake in the bottle. In other words, don’t harden our hearts when we should be helping out.
- Sprinkle generously without hesitation. Do away with fear of what others will think. Speak truth in loving ways. Preserve lives by sharing the grace and hope found only in Jesus. Many long to find forgiveness and a love that doesn’t let go.
- Let’s set about the purpose for which God calls us to be vessels of salt. Is there a cause that tugs at our hearts? We rob the world of flavor when we ignore that nudge. Get involved.
- Use salt in moderation. We should remember to be considerate of both the time and emotional constraints of others. A little sprinkle at a time is often best.
- Never run out of salt. If all of our financial resources are depleted, there’ll be nothing left to care for an unexpected emergency. Wouldn’t we rather be ready? Let’s plan ahead; be the one with the extra bag of salt on hand.
- Shake out prayers and words of blessing. Wherever we go, God’s wants us to bring the taste of hope to others.
Only if we truly believe we are the salt of the world will we be able to bring hope to others. Are we ready to flavor our world with the love of Christ?
