For
weeks now, my preacher husband has been taking his sermons from the Beatitudes.
A couple of weeks ago, it was Matthew 5:13, “You are the salt of the earth.”
It
got me thinking about folks I know and have known who seemed “salt of the earth.” Now, don’t get me wrong, when Jesus said those words, he didn’t say that
we might be, could be, or should earn the description. No, he said, “You ARE
the salt of the earth.” Present tense. If we name the name of Jesus as our
Savior and have allowed Him to transform our lives, we are like salt whose
preservative quality keeps food from degrading. As Christians, we keep the
culture from declining. Jesus goes on to talk about what happens when salt loses
its effectiveness, and we certainly want to guard against going in that direction.
But from
my youngest years, I can think of a long line of people who have lived out “salt
of the earth” qualities in a way that distinguished them.
They
were folks who went about their work with honor, who held on to a Biblical
moral code, who often lived beneath their means in order to help others, who
were found serving in places of need, who didn’t draw attention to themselves,
who didn’t hesitate to name the name of Jesus as their source of strength, who
were kind, and who persevered in hard times among so many other qualities. They
exhibited the fruit of the spirit.
Often
unseen in their work, we may only know much of what they have done when we
arrive in heaven.
It
has been and continues to be a privilege to call them friends.
Maybe,
you too, have those in your life who in quietness and humbleness lead the way
to the Lord. Their example of service often reminds me of my own need to serve.
Their humility checks my own prideful ways. Their tenacity in heartbreak helps
me keep going when I face my own challenges. And so it goes. On and on. I am so
grateful for their influence and hope that I, too, may exhibit those qualities.
Reminding ourselves that we are the “salt of the earth” should help us live
more like the “salt of the earth.”
As
we move through Lent, let’s all seek to live out “salt of the earth” qualities,
which really means being more like Jesus.