Last night I read Matthew 5:13-16. I’ve read this part of the Bible many times before. Have you ever noticed that when you read a verse or section it means something to you, then you leave it alone for a while, and come back to it after a few months it means something different, or you have gained more insight into the verse? This proves that you are growing spiritually.
While reading the verses about being the salt of the earth and the light of the world, I had an Ah-ha moment, slightly different from ones I’ve had in the past.
When you think about salt, it can be good or bad. If a person uses salt on their food it enhances the flavour, if a person pours salt into a wound it hurts, a lot. It will definitely bring attention to the wound.
In the same way, if you, as a Christian, fellowship with other Christians, you enhance each other. You can be there for each other in times of trouble, in prayer, in joy, in sorrow and in spiritual growth. Christians fellowshipping with other Christians improve themselves.
On the flip side, if you, as a Christian, spend time with non-Christians, it is like pouring salt into wounds. Let’s say (theoretically) you spend a lot of time with people who drink heavily, but you don’t touch a drop, at some point they will notice. What makes you different from them will cause them to examine themselves and their drinking habits. Usually people don’t like to see faults within themselves and they will be hurt (like pouring salt onto a wound), but the hurt makes them acknowledge there is something wrong.
People who get hurt usually try to bring the person who hurt them down to their level, or they try to get away from the person who hurt them, or they try to heal the wound.
Maybe, by being the salt of the earth we shine a light into the darkness in other people’s hearts, and expose their darkness to themselves. What they do with it once it has been exposed, is between themselves and God.
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