Salt And Light

• Why is salt a good illustration of what Christians can do in this world?

• Why is light a good illustration of what Christians can do in this world?

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no 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.”
Matthew 5:13 – 15

Is it a compliment to be called “salt”? How about “light”? It must be, since that’s what Jesus wants his followers to be.

Salt doesn’t make itself known in a bold way, but it changes whatever it comes into contact with. It brings out goodness. That’s the kind of influence God wants us to have — at school, in the office, around the neighborhood. He wants us to influence those around us, not in a showy, look-at-me way, but in subtle ways. What we say, what we do, the way we treat other students, the way we treat teachers, the way we go about our work—all of it matters.

If we live in a way that’s pleasing to God, people will notice. Even better, some of them may get the courage to follow our example. In that way, we bring out goodness in others.

As light, we reflect God’s goodness on others. We treat them as he instructs in his Word. We let them know through our actions and words that we care about them and that God cares about them.

If we commit ourselves to the principles of Matthew 5, we’ll discover what God can do with a little salt and light.

PRAYER
Dear God, thank you for giving us such key roles in your work here on earth. Give us the wisdom, courage and creativity to help people in need—at work and at school. Amen.