Salty Spotlights

That's what a disciple of Jesus Christ is called to be. A salty spotlight. A true disciple of Christ will provide both of these things, in some form or another, in their daily lives. Sure, not exactly breaking news, but perhaps something worth re-evaluating if you find yourself to be in the position of interacting with non-disciples on a regular basis.

Be Salty-
Zes-tangy-icy! Would those around us describe us as such? Or would it be more of a depress-downer-angry? We're being watched and listened to far more than we realize. What we say and do is constantly making a case for who we truly are. And by the way, if we declare we're this or that, but then behave in complete contradiction to that declaration, well we ought to consider ourselves tasteless.
We read in Romans 1:29 - 32 the assessment, by Jesus Christ, that the world is rotten and rotting; therefore, His statement that Christians must function as the salt of the earth is more than just a cutesy illustration. "They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them." Matthew 5:13 tells us our role in this dark mess. We're the salt. We're the preservative until Christ returns. Do we see more decay than preservation around us? Maybe we need to spice things up a little and be more salty. Really get in there and rub ourselves into society rather than just package ourselves away in our homes, careers, or earthly vices. It's not a request, it's a declaration: "You are the salt of the earth." And if we decide not to, or forget to, or ::insert ridiculous excuse here::? "...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 by men." Tasty or trampled? Which would we rather be?

We're spotlights as well. I think we read to much into the don't hide your lamp under a bushel idea from the Sermon on the Mount. Often we don't hide it. But we certainly don't proclaim it either, or show it to anyone but our church friends. We're to be spotlights, not to illuminate ourselves, but to shine and direct attention to the source of our hope and life, Jesus Christ. Matthew 5:16 says, "...Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." So they see our good deeds, but more importantly the see who is the recipient of the praise and honor from those deeds. Not to us, but to Him. Remember the Newsboys' Shine? "Shine, make them wonder what you've got, make them wish that they were not on the outside looking bored. Shine, let it shine before all men. Let them see good works and then let them glorify the Lord. Shine!"

So when we get up in the morning, when we're about to go off on someone that probably deserves it, when we don't feel like loving, or forgiving, or waiting.... we should remember that we're called to something higher and greater. Not to be a good person who controls their temperament and mouth. But to be a light in the darkness. To be salt in the wound, a preservative from the decay. The world doesn't need our clever words or biting sarcasm. Not our hate, fear, anger, or politics. What the world needs is the bright flavor Jesus gave us. The world needs some salty spotlights.