By Shauna Leis

 

 Colossians 4:6

 

During the summer, we love to make homemade salsa. Even the kids get involved mixing together diced, homegrown tomatoes, cilantro out of the herb garden, fresh hot peppers, and my secret ingredient – very coarse sea salt. Now, you might be saying, “Isn’t all salt basically the same?” Well, you can ask my family that it does make a huge difference when we use the sea salt to make the salsa over just regular table salt. Toward the end of the season last year, I ran out of the sea salt right in the middle of making a batch so I substituted table salt for the remainder. There was no doubt that I did not use the sea salt in that batch since I just could not get it to taste the same – it was just not salty enough.

 

Salt is probably known throughout the world as the oldest mineral ever recorded and the one with hundreds of different uses. Thousands of years ago, people determined that salt could be used to preserve meat so that it did not spoil as fast. Also, people used it to take the pain out of bee stings and heal a variety of skin conditions. They also figured out that salt could cure cheese. Today, we even use it to keep snow and ice off of our roadways.

   

 Knowing how important salt is to the human race, is it any wonder then that Paul, in his letter to the Christians in Colosse, was reminding his readers in the Scripture above to make sure that their conversations were “seasoned with salt?” I think Paul purposefully used this terminology to encourage people to be mindful that their speech was “tasteful” to everyone else within hearing distance. Have you ever been around someone whose speech you just cannot stand? Maybe he or she is really negative or uses language that makes you cringe. There is no seasoning in him or her that appeals to other people nearby.   

 

So, now I ask what kind of seasoning are you? Are you the kind of seasoning that beckons people to come to Jesus to hear and taste His Words? In Matthew 5:13, Jesus was speaking to His disciples and reminded them that, “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 by men.” Jesus wanted His disciples to be cognizant of the fact that they were the ones taking the message of Him out into the world just like we are to take that same message to the world today. If the disciples lost their “saltiness,” who would be willing to listen to them? How could they be made “salty” again? 

 

Mark 9:50b says, “Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with each other.” Precious One, we are called to be salt and light to the earth so that others will long to be in the presence of Christ Himself. He longs for us to make His Words flavorful so that others will want to “taste and see that the Lord is good.” We want our conversations to proclaim that Jesus Christ is Lord of all. Are your words filled with the seasoning of Christ? Are you relying on Him to fill you up so that you pour out Him? Trust Him today that He can make you salty again!   

 

Pray with me: Lord, we know that salt has so many incredible uses that we long to be the salt and light to the earth and be used for Your purposes. We do not ever want to lose our saltiness for You. Our hearts desire is to be Christ’s seasoning to the rest of the world, even when we feel overwhelmed with the prospect. You are enough, and our trust is in that. Temper our conversations with Your seasoning so others will be drawn into a personal relationship with You through our example. There is nothing else good in us except for You, Lord Jesus! We pray all of this in the precious name of You, Jesus Christ!