May 24: How to avoid being trampled

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 5:15  NET)

In the first century salt was used, like it is today, as favoring for food. But another use that is not so common today was as a preservative. In the absence of refrigeration, meat could be salted and preserved for long periods of time, an important function in those times. It’s easy to see how Jesus intended both aspects of salt to characterize Christians’ lives. Because of our faith and standards of behavior, we add flavor to life. Whenever we interact with people they should be able to see that we are different, that we do not steal, do not lie, are not selfish, are not worldly, do not love money, are not immoral, do not panic in difficult times, and on and on. In a world that is daily slipping into more and more ungodly ways, that is controlled by demons, we have to be a breath of fresh air—hope for the future.

Salt symbolizes faith, and faith involves obedience to the Word of God and submission to God’s ways. Jesus poses the question of what should be done to salt that loses its saltiness, or, what can be done for a Christian that loses his faith. Just like unsalty salt becomes a useless white powder, so Christians that lose their faith and courage are transformed into useless people that are trampled under foot by demons, the devil, people, and situations of life. Just as unsalty salt is a ridiculous element, something that no one would buy at the store, a person that confesses faith in God but sees no results from that faith, and has no courage to act on it, is a ridiculous and pitiful creature.

Grab a hold of today’s promise and determine that you are the salt of the earth, that the power of God Almighty is coursing through your veins, and that you are going to make a difference in this world. People will frequently complain about you because they are not used to your saltiness, but now and again you will come across people who are dying for what you have, and who will join you as the salt of the earth.