Day 20: Salt and Light

 Verse: Matthew 5:13-16

You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is not longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
Thought
A Peanuts cartoon showed Peppermint Patty talking to Charlie Brown. She said, "Guess what, Chuck. The first day of school, and I got sent to the principal's office. It was your fault, Chuck." He said, "My fault? How could it be my fault? Why do you say everything is my fault?" She said, "You're my friend, aren't you, Chuck? You should have been a better influence on me."

When we say we are Christians, people tend to watch us. What do they see? What we say and do can have an influence on them. And it should. Jesus told us that we would have an influence in this world. He tells us this in the verses above. When we look at the Beatitudes at the beginning of Matthew 5 we are given the characteristics God wants us to live out.  

He calls us to be spiritually bankrupt before a Holy God, that we mourn over our sin.  We must be meek but not weak.  We should hunger and thirst after righteousness, and be merciful,  pure in heart and a peacemaker.  We may be persecuted for righteousness sake.  These things will help us be salt and light.

In the last census in the UK (2001), about 70% of the population claimed to be Christian. Yet statistics within the church show that only 2.4% attend church regularly.
Not only are those numbers frightening, but sadly the average Christian in the average church is almost indistinguishable from the rest of society. Not necessarily in some artificial and outward way, but rather in the basic moral and ethical difference that Christ can make in how we live. Within our Church we have people having affairs, hurting their families, cheating, lying etc.  Perhaps that is the reason why our influence has not been felt in a way that points people to Jesus.

Does your life make a difference? What kind of difference do you make? Jesus makes no bones about the fact that we should make a difference. When Jesus said, "You are the salt of the earth" and "You are the light of the world", He made those verses a statement of fact. He did not say you should be the salt or you should be the light of the world. He said you are salt and light.

Prayer

Please make me make a difference Lord God.  Let me be full of Your salt and light, that others may see your goodness. Help me be part of a living and challenging church that can direct people to you