Salt and Light of the World

Now that the Beautiful Beatitudes free eBook is finished, I can move forward with more Red Letter posts. So, next in Matthew 5 are verses 13 and 14, where Jesus is calling us to be the salt and light to the world. I shared this same song, in the video below, at the end of the Beatitudes book, but it's such a beautiful song and this is a great place, as well, to use it.

 

Image courtesy of BBC Creative via Unsplash

I have chosen to use the verses from the NLT version of the Holy Bible for this post.

“You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless. You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden."

As salt, we are to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ with truth, love, and enthusiasm. Live the life  a Christian should live so as to be a good example for others to follow. Your actions should honor God. Your motives should be pure and not just outward actions to impress others. If we choose not to do this, we're as useless as stale (impure) salt that has lost its flavor. Old salt in the Old Testament days was thrown out to kill vegetation (NKJV study notes p. 1603). So, let's choose to be a shaker full of flavorful salt that is useful - not worthless - for God's cause. We are called to help hurting souls. We are called to help lost souls.

As the light, we can help others find their way to this seasoned life. Some may not even be looking for the light, but if we shine for the Lord, they will find it anyway. But for those souls who are searching for something better, how sad is it that they may not find that better way because we decided not to share our light with them? Listen to the song at the YouTube link I provided above. Watch the words on the screen. Let them sink into your heart. Who do we know that's trying to light their own candle another way? Who do we know who is living in so much darkness and needs a light to help them find their way out? 

Below is another good YouTube video with lyrics called "Give Me Your Eyes". Because we are called to be salt and light for hurting people, I ask God to help me see if someone is hurting each time I leave the house. Perhaps a kind word is all they need. For example, in early spring of this year, my son and I were at our local mall and, for some reason, we went down a set of stairs we had never gone down before. Normally, that staircase is out of the way, but our trip ended at those stairs that day. We could hear the little cleaning lady crying as we descended down the stairs. She was unaware that we were walking down those stairs because of the way they're designed and where she was located. Once we turned the corner to walk around the landing and down the next flight, I asked her if she was okay. She said she was fine, that her allergies were killing her that day. The eye wiping and sniffling stopped, and she smiled. She was embarrassed that she had been caught crying, but happy that someone cared enough to ask if she was okay even if she wasn't willing to share why she was crying. I respected that and didn't press. We just told her to have a blessed day. And I prayed for her after we left and continue to pray for her to this day. So, this song has a lot of meaning for me. There may be people who won't accept your kindness at that moment, but that's okay too. They may remember it later down the road when they need it most - like the elderly gentleman whose cane fell into the floor at the grocery store a few years ago. When I saw what had happened, I picked it up for him. He got so mad at me and told me he could get it. His wife told him I was just trying to help and she thanked me. 

 

Maybe you're the hurting person who needs help today, and you've "stumbled" onto this post. It wasn't an accident, dear Sister. God helped you find it. Please keep coming back. Read these red letter posts and find out how much Jesus, God, and the Holy Spirit love you. You are never alone, sweet child. Never alone. And never unloved.

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Have a blessed day,

Patricia