Day 9: Of Salt and Light
You are of salt and of light. You are the salt of the Earth, the light of the world. Those are positions not to be taken lightly. In declaring our identity and our callings, we must remember the greatness, the seriousness of the position we have been hired by Christ in.
All our strength comes from Christ alone, therefore we are limitless in power and strength and we ought to use that power to step out in boldness and courage of who we are and Who God is in order to touch the souls all around us and bring them into the Kingdom of God.
I've heard this quote before that says, "if we were made to stay in one place our whole lives we would have roots instead of feet" and I believe that goes for our callings as children of God. Though you may not feel like you are supposed to go to another country or even another state or city other than your own, you, as a soul who is in a relationship with Christ, are still called to the darkest parts of the earth to be salt and light. You are called to season the nations in preparation for Christ's coming and to be the light that exposes the darkness. Whether that means actually physically going to other nations as well as your own or praying and interceding for those others nations, wherever you are at, despite transportation shortages, disabilities, finances, whatever, you are called as salt and light to this lost world.
There are souls dying and going to hell. There are prisoners of slavery, of addiction, sin, shame, abuse barely living. There are people crying out for someone, for something to give them an answer to what the purpose of their life is and if there is truly anyone who loves them.
There are people who do not know the unlimited, everlasting, unending, relentless love of God, all over the world, all these lost souls. We should not take our callings as salt and light lightly.
Salt is something that so many people I know (especially us Americans) feel they need in order to eat. There are some who even go so far as to not wanting to eat if the food is bland and without flavor (which is ridiculous because there are people starving out there, but anyway...). People like flavor, they like salt. I have some family members who go so far in loving salt that they even put it on their pizza and watermelon. Crazy, right? But the point I am trying to make is that salt is something that turns what tastes lifeless, flavorless, purposeless into something flavorful, vibrant, and new. Also, salt takes on the flavor of what it is put in and enhances the flavor, it makes the flavor known to the consumer.
As the salt of the Earth, we are the taste, the aroma of Christ. We take His character, His love, through our hearts and souls to those around us and those all around the world.
And light. Light is something that makes all things known, all things seen. Nothing is hidden in the light. The light leads the way, it shows us where we are going and the things we could not have seen before without it. The light exposes what is in the darkness. The darkness cannot overcome the light. Light, the very thing that shows what the darkness is and how it is powerless.
As the light of the world, we are "little Christs", we are the ones who take the heart of God to others, to the darkest parts of the world and the most darkness-driven souls and we expose that darkness to the light so that in Christ, all is seen, nothing is hidden, and all see that the love of Christ, the power, the freedom, and the light of Christ is always more powerful than any darkness.
Don't take your calling lightly. Take it as a blessing. Christ chose you to be His messenger. God chose you to pull souls out from the darkness and into His glorious light. So let us not be slow to do what He called us to do, let us march boldly into the lands of darkness and turn them into nations of salt and light.
"The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor." Isaiah 61:1-3
“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."
Matthew 5:13-16
"For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. This is why it is said: “Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” Ephesians 5:8-14