Living on a low sodium diet means that sometimes food doesn’t taste as good as it should. It turns out that salt enhances natural flavors and makes them more flavorful to our taste buds. I was recently thinking about this as I read the verses about salt and light in the Gospel of Matthew. Is the salt mentioned in these verses responsible for bringing out the God flavors in us?
Matthew 5:13-16 says: “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. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.“
Our goal as Christians is to be remade in the image of God. We want to look less and less like our old selves and more and more like God. We want to act in ways that please God, talk in words that give glory to God, and think things that draw us closer to God. Ephesians 4:24 tells us to “put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.”
We are to use God’s salt to flavor the world with God. We are to use God’s light to make the world brighter and more loving. When others look at us, we want them to see and taste God.
How are you doing with that? Is God’s salt bringing out the God flavors in you? Are you growing closer to God, appearing more in God’s light, tasting more like God? When you deal with others, do they taste God’s salt or do you leave them with a bad taste in their mouths? What helps you live in ways that please God?
As Christians, our work is to make sure we are bringing out the God flavors in our lives. We are also charged with bringing out the God flavors in others. We want to shine the light of Christ in the world. Perhaps, if we continue to work at it – through God’s grace – we will eventually shine bright enough for the world to see.