Salty Salt

“You are the salt of the earth.  But if salt loses its flavor, how can it be made salty again?

It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled on by people.”

(Matthew 5:13)

Throughout my lifetime, I’ve been involved in athletics.  I was raised in a coaching environment.  My father was a coach and I’ve followed in his footsteps!  In athletics, certain phrases are commonly thrown around.  Some examples of this are:  “Wow – he’s salty!” and “that sure was a salty play!” etc.  The term “salty” is used all of the time in sport.  Lately, I’ve thought a lot about what it means to be salty and my questions have led me to research it biblically.  I began with the verse above and have tried to see how it applies to us as Christians.

We, as Christians, are called the salt of the earth because our lives enhance and give meaning to this existence we call life.  Before salvation, we were like grains of sand, too numerous to count.  But after receiving Christ, we are transformed – no longer like tiny debris of rock having little or no difference from another lost piece of sand, to something distinctive in taste, texture, and aroma.

It may be an odd analogy, but Jesus compared believers to salt for a reason.  Salt is a dietary mineral, used for flavoring and preservation – needed by all known living creatures.  If abused, it can be harmful.  However, it is also detrimental to have no salt intake because it regulates the water content in our bodies.  Jesus used salt to describe how Christians are needed to bring balance and hope to an otherwise dying world.

The question He asked however is, “What good is salt if it has lost its flavor?”  In other words, if a Christian has lost his or her gusto and fervor, then what’s the difference between the old grain of sand they once were and the so-called salt they are now?  The answer:  very little.

Because of recent circumstances in my life, I pondered this scripture differently than I have before.  Trials can cause us to become weary if we’re not careful.  And just like salt can become diluted in water, Christians can become diluted (or altered) by their experiences.  For example, what we believed before a traumatic event is sometimes not the same as afterwards.  Why is that?  There could be many reasons, but the most common is depression, fatigue, self-doubt, and ultimately reservations about what we believed in to begin with.  And we have to clearly understand there is an enemy at work in these cases.  If we are the salt of the earth and it’s possible to lose our flavoring, then it’s no secret the Devil will do his best to make sure our effectiveness (our flavoring) isn’t what it used to be.  And if he had his way in every case, we’d have no flavoring left at all – returning to transparent grains of sand with no threat to him or his kingdom.

Jesus said, “Salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it?  Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another” (Mark 9:50).

Consider this:  the sea is full of salt but it is only extracted through the process of boiling (removing the water to retain the salt).  I don’t like the idea of going through fiery trials, but if that’s what it takes to recapture the “salt” in my life, then maybe I’m okay with that.  What I’ve learned is that God is not the destroyer in this life.  He said the thief comes to kill, steal, and destroy (John 10:10).  God is the “Restorer” of broken lives and broken hearts.

The boiling process will either prove or disprove the amount of salt contained in a substance.  In the same way, the trials of life will either prove our lives are flavored by God or they will reveal how much we truly lack.  Either way, if handled correctly, the end result can be beneficial.  For the one, their revelation of Jesus Christ and His grace and faithfulness will increase.  For the other, a realization of their small faith can push them to a deeper relationship with God because despite their lack, He remains faithful.  The only problem is:  God has left the “salt containers” (you and I) to decide.

“So dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you.  Instead, be very glad – for these trials make you partners with Christ (and what He went through), so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing His glory when it is revealed to all the world” 1 Peter 4:12-13

I have learned I can’t always control the trials I face, but I am the keeper of my “salt.”  Will I be bitter or better?  Less seasoned or more flavorful?  Will I disappear into the background or stand out as an overcomer?  Because in the end, what good am I if I’ve lost my flavoring?

Dear Lord, help us to stay salty and maintain our flavor.  Strengthen us in times of trial and help us to remember and know that You are always there.  We love You.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Casey Dacus
Graham, TX

I want to be healthy and think I look good so I exercise, eat things I don’t like, avoid food I love, take my daily fish oil, floss, use hair conditioner, do push-ups, and put on sun screen.   Despite my best efforts my skin is getting a speckled, stretched rubber band look, my muscles are going the wrong direction, my hair is gray, and instead of six pack abs mine look more like a six pack of Pillsbury biscuits.   As time passes however, I find I am less concerned for my “outside” looks and much more concerned with my “inside”.   Is your spirit and soul looking and longing for something?   Psalm 23 was written by King David in the context of his intimate and abiding relationship with the Father.  It is sharing the incredible wonder of our Father’s care for us and the transformation of our “inside” in this relationship.  Listen to a man known for his closeness to God’s heart, paraphrased slightly. 

"I lack nothing when God is given complete control and oversight of my life.  He provides for me such that I do not wonder or worry for my day to day needs.   His provision is so complete that I am at peace with who I am.  Not only does He provide for me but He watches and guides me on my journey sending me along ways that are best for me all the while showing His power and splendor in my life.   He is with me and fights for me against Satan himself and I can rest assured that He is there.  No matter what Satan may hurl at me is no match for my Lord’s strength and guaranteed victory through Christ.  Understanding and experiencing this peace and protection gives me great comfort even in the middle of the worst storm.   And best of all and most difficult to believe, as I abide in this relationship with my Father He comes to me. He provides a spiritual feast where the Lord Himself through His Holy Spirit is feeding me daily with delicacies of wisdom and peace hard to imagine.  Not just once but my entire life He pursues me with goodness, mercy, and love in wave after wave.   How incredible that our Father would do that when I should be on my face before Him begging for mercy and forgiveness.  The Maker of Heaven and Earth is serving me!  I can’t fathom it.  Yet it is true and with this realization everything changes.  I never want to leave His presence.   He is real.  God is with me.  God is for me.  I am not alone."

Can you trust enough to accept something so amazing and incredible?  It is a transforming discovery and passage of our faith that this is real.  This is not theory, make believe, too good to be true, or “I hope it’s true” living.   Whether you are at the peak of joy and happiness or in the depths of suffering grasping this secret moves you to a new dimension of life and relationship with God.  It is the abundant life.  I lack nothing and I fear nothing when I dwell with Him.  My heart, the most vulnerable, protected, guarded part of my being trusts in the only true God and He will not disappoint or fail me.  I depend on You Lord completely, without reservation or doubt.  As long as I am with You I do not care where I go. 

The greatest challenge for you and me is our complete acceptance of the reality of God and His salvation of us.  It is there offered fully and freely.  We must believe it and accept it to receive the reward, but this kind of belief is so hard for us.  Jesus knew the great battle waged for our hearts and said “the gate is small and the road is narrow that leads to true life. Only a few people find that road.”(Matthew 7)   He also said “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in and eat with you, and you will eat with me. Those who win the victory will sit with me on my throne in the same way that I won the victory and sat down with my Father on his throne.” (Revelation 3).  

Open the door and take the narrow, unmarked path to a life you cannot fathom.   

Psalm 23(NIV) A psalm of David.

 ¹ The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing.

 ² He makes me lie down in green pastures,

he leads me beside quiet waters,

 ³ he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths

   for his name’s sake.

⁴ Even though I walk

   through the darkest valley
I will fear no evil,
   for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
   they comfort me.

 ⁵ You prepare a table before me
   in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
   my cup overflows.
⁶ Surely your goodness and love will follow me
   all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
   forever.

Amen

Scotty Elston
Shallowater, Texas

The Better Wolf

You may have heard the Cherokee legend about a grandfather and the advice he gives his grandson.  The legend goes something like this:
A Cherokee tells his grandson about a fight that is going on inside himself.  He said it is between two wolves.
One is evil: Anger, envy, sorrow, regret, fearful thinking, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority and ego.
The other is good: Joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith.
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, "Which wolf wins?"
The Cherokee simply replied, "The one I feed."

I was recently reminded of this legend the other day as I was on a road trip with my family.  That morning as we were trying to leave, my husband had acted in a brusque manner… “Business Mode” we call it.  You know, how we can sometimes get when we are in a hurry to accomplish a list of things to do, there are three small children to wrangle, and wintry road conditions that would keep most people at home?  In the midst of “stewing” over my hurt feelings, our five-year-old, Leif asks a question.  One of those questions that make a parent dig deep and pray for the right answer.  As I am racking my brain for the right words, Jeff answers our son with a word picture pulled from his favorite Pixar movie, a verse from the Bible and finishes off with encouragement that spoke to our son’s heart.  I looked back at Leif and saw a satisfied grin spread across his face.  

“Wow!” I thought…what a turn of events.  In a few seconds I went from feeling anger toward my husband to being so proud I could cry.  I decided to trade my dung-colored glasses for rose-colored ones and view my husband in a positive way.  This decision changed the course of the day and the more I thought on the good things God had done through Jeff over the preceding week, the better I felt.  

Luke 6:45A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.It is easy for us all to “feed” the evil wolf when it comes to our relationships and even to ourselves.  We can tally up wrongs committed, ugly words exchanged or annoyances to where all we see is the bad in another person.  We can do this with our children, spouse, friend, co-worker, boss, or our brothers and sisters in Christ.  “Majoring on the Minors” can keep us from seeing the world and those around us as God intended.  However, dwelling on the good can transform everyone and everything we see.

I like how the Easy-To-Read version of Romans 12:14-15 simply states it,
The true children of God are those who let God’s Spirit lead them.  The Spirit that we received is not a spirit that makes us slaves again and causes us to fear.  The Spirit that we have makes us God’s chosen children.

Prayer:  Abba Father, You are wonderful and gracious.  Thank you for all the good things that are happening around me.  Thank you for the way you grow my husband and my kids…and I thank you for letting me see this!  Help me, like Mary to store up the “goods” in my heart.  Help me to have eyes to see the blessings, and let me have a heart that is led by your Spirit.  I love you.  Amen.

Dana Jaworski
Anchor Point, AK

It Happened in the Pond Today

Today was a beautiful fall morning.  The air was crisp and new with just a hint of wind stirring the tree tops.  The warmth from the bright sun was like a blanket over our bodies.  The silence of the country was hypnotizing as the acorns one after another dropped to the ground each time the breeze gently whispered.  Birds joyfully chirped as they flew back and forth among the trees.  My family and I inhaled the beauty and awesomeness of God as we gathered outside for a morning devotional.  We like to take a break ever so often and show our children that you can worship God anywhere and one of our favorite spots is out in the wide open. We discussed with our children the necessity of knowing God and walking with Him in a conscious relationship.

A story that illustrates the importance of following God is the familiar story of Cain and Abel (Genesis 4).  A story of two men who came from the same parents, lived in the same environment, and experienced the same teaching.  However, Cain chose to ignore God and went about things his own way.  He did not appreciate what God had given him nor did he seek a relationship with God.  This resulted in descendants that lived outside of God.  Abel, on the other hand chose to trust God and follow His ways.  Although Abel did not leave any descendants, God gave Adam and Eve another son, named Seth, whose descendants counted as Abel's seed (Genesis 4:25).  It was through this line of descendants that Jesus Christ was born. 

As we shared with our children, the nearness of the Lord was ever so present and overwhelming in everything that surrounded us.  I have grown on this ranch as a wife and momma that loves the Lord more today than I did as a new bride.  The beauty and peacefulness have allowed me to walk with God and cultivate my relationship with Him to the point that I feel His presence each time I seek him.  The ranch has been in my husband’s family for three generations.  His grandfather was a good man, hard worker, but he chose to live outside of God’s presence.  Unfortunately, all his descendants have followed in his footsteps.  My husband, by the grace of God, was the first descendant to break the line and follow God.

As we concluded our family devotion, I told my family that I wanted to go down to the pond and recommit my life to God.  Before God and our children, my husband took my confession and baptized me.   Yes, I believe Jesus Christ is the son of God, that he died on the cross and rescued me from Satan, and when Jesus arose from the dead, He crushed Satan.  I now, because of my belief and confession of sins, belong to God’s new humanity in Christ.

My husband and his grandfather dug the 17 acre pond over 30 years ago.  It took them five years to complete it.  Over 30 years ago, I gave my life to Christ and was baptized.  My recommitment to the Lord marked the first baptism in that pond.  It is my prayer that many more will enter the water  in that pond purely because of their desire to walk with Him.

Two lines of humanity begin with Cain and Abel, and you are part of either one or the other.

Carla Henson
Tuscola, Texas

The Church Killer

I do still go to church but I have several friends who could be in a support group using the title as the theme of their meeting.  All my friends have something in common - their Christian brothers and sisters talking about them.  People in the church talking about people in the church.  

Gossip in the church is a killer.  A killer of spirit.  A killer of hope.  A killer of faith.  A killer of soul.  

Grace in the church gives life.  Gives life to the spirit. Gives life to hope.  Gives life to hope.  Revives the soul.

At the end of Hebrews 4, these words are recorded, “So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.” [Emphasis mine]

Jesus, who gave His life for us, knows our trials and our temptations and He understands.  Even more, He accepts us at his throne of grace.  I wonder why some people in the church don’t take the same approach?

I don’t remember the last time I heard a series of sermons preached on gossip yet I know of nothing that kills a church faster.  Not divorce.  Not alcoholism.  Not sexual immorality.  Not hatred and bitterness.  Not all the other sinful acts either.  So why not more discussion of gossip?  

Hey, I’m guilty too.  I grew up in the performance-oriented church culture.  We ran as hard as we could doing “the right things” and we did our best to keep our faults under a rug.  When people went forward at church, we spent time at lunch talking about what they did and what they needed to do to clean up their act.  Then I crashed and burned and I was the guy people were talking about.  I heard the stories and the things that were said.  Some things were true, some were far off base and much of it was said by people who had no way of knowing anything unless they had heard it 2nd or 3rd hand.  And it hurts.  Badly.

I know why some of my friends don’t go to church anymore.  I’ve told some that there are more grace-filled people at church than there are gossipers but so often 1 bad thing outweighs 20 good things.  It has sure made me aware of what I have said in the past and how I have hurt people.  Lord willing, I will remember the lessons I’ve learned and just share the grace that has been given so freely to me.  

I was listening to a radio preacher the other day who mentioned several times that Jesus spoke about hell more than any other Bible character.  It sent me to the Internet and if the information I found was correct, it credited with Jesus referring to hell at least 16 times.  The same source said Jesus spoke directly about love 51 times.  I don’t know if those facts are completely accurate but the thing I get out of that is that Jesus was much more interested in loving people than in condemning them.  Jesus came to save the world, not judge it.  What in the world do we need to be doing here?

Peace and grace.

Jeff Jones

Decatur, Texas