Salt
Salt
A friend of mine made some unleavened bread for communion recently. The thing that stood out to me the most as I partook of the bread was it’s saltiness. I generally don’t think of bread as salty (except for garlic bread) and so I was surprised at the first taste. Normally during communion I try not to focus on the food itself, but rather the meaning behind it, but this time I felt like God was speaking to me through the flavor. Remember the salt.
I just finished a great book by Bill Hybels, “Just Walk Across the Room” that I highly recommend. It gives a lot of great practical advice in seasoning our lives with salt. While I’ve always tried to do this, I often miss opportunities and either over or underseason my speech.
While I wasn’t expecting the salty seasoning, the bread was perfectly seasoned. There wasn’t so much salt that my mouth became dry and parched. There wasn’t so little that it was a bland wafer. It was well seasoned and balanced. The New Testament isn’t the only one that calls us to use salt. While the Levitical laws were literal rather than metaphorical, sometimes we need these physical reminders.
Christians aren’t always good at balancing the seasoning in their lives though. There are times we retreat into our comfort zone of Christian friends and don’t see the open doors to declare the mystery of Christ- we fail to add salt to any conversations.
Other times we over season our speech. We pour on so much salt that what we’ve shared becomes inedible.
Colossians 4:6 reminds us to be gracious, but another key in this verse is that we ought to know how to answer each person. Different people have different needs. One of Tommy’s great uncles had a heart condition. His salt intake was very limited and the family had to get creative in making the food safe for him to eat yet also taste good. Too much salt would have been very dangerous. Do we know people in our lives whose hearts have been wounded? They may need a limited amount of salt before their spiritual health is restored. That doesn’t mean we shy away from the gospel and we certainly don’t hold back the love that God has poured into our lives and commanded us to show others. But we must use wisdom in what and how we share with them.
There are people though who love liberal does of salt. One of my new friends has eaten with us a number of times and doesn’t feel like Americans use enough salt. I confess, especially since having children, I don’t typically salt vegetables as I’m cooking and that way I use less salt on the girls’ plates. Just as the desire for salt on our food can differ, so can the desire for salt in our conversations. I’ve encountered people in my life who may have vastly different religious beliefs than mine, but they’ve commented that they love hearing how faith affects my life personally.
With each offering we lift up to God, we must offer salt.
We have been called to give our lives as living sacrifices- when you sacrifice your life to God, don’t forget the salt.
A friend of mine made some unleavened bread for communion recently. The thing that stood out to me the most as I partook of the bread was it’s saltiness. I generally don’t think of bread as salty (except for garlic bread) and so I was surprised at the first taste. Normally during communion I try not to focus on the food itself, but rather the meaning behind it, but this time I felt like God was speaking to me through the flavor. Remember the salt.
I just finished a great book by Bill Hybels, “Just Walk Across the Room” that I highly recommend. It gives a lot of great practical advice in seasoning our lives with salt. While I’ve always tried to do this, I often miss opportunities and either over or underseason my speech.
Colossians 4:2-6
Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison— that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak. Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.
While I wasn’t expecting the salty seasoning, the bread was perfectly seasoned. There wasn’t so much salt that my mouth became dry and parched. There wasn’t so little that it was a bland wafer. It was well seasoned and balanced. The New Testament isn’t the only one that calls us to use salt. While the Levitical laws were literal rather than metaphorical, sometimes we need these physical reminders.
Leviticus 2:13
You shall season all your grain offerings with salt. You shall not let the salt of the covenant with your God be missing from your grain offering; with all your offerings you shall offer salt.
Christians aren’t always good at balancing the seasoning in their lives though. There are times we retreat into our comfort zone of Christian friends and don’t see the open doors to declare the mystery of Christ- we fail to add salt to any conversations.
Other times we over season our speech. We pour on so much salt that what we’ve shared becomes inedible.
Colossians 4:6 reminds us to be gracious, but another key in this verse is that we ought to know how to answer each person. Different people have different needs. One of Tommy’s great uncles had a heart condition. His salt intake was very limited and the family had to get creative in making the food safe for him to eat yet also taste good. Too much salt would have been very dangerous. Do we know people in our lives whose hearts have been wounded? They may need a limited amount of salt before their spiritual health is restored. That doesn’t mean we shy away from the gospel and we certainly don’t hold back the love that God has poured into our lives and commanded us to show others. But we must use wisdom in what and how we share with them.
There are people though who love liberal does of salt. One of my new friends has eaten with us a number of times and doesn’t feel like Americans use enough salt. I confess, especially since having children, I don’t typically salt vegetables as I’m cooking and that way I use less salt on the girls’ plates. Just as the desire for salt on our food can differ, so can the desire for salt in our conversations. I’ve encountered people in my life who may have vastly different religious beliefs than mine, but they’ve commented that they love hearing how faith affects my life personally.
With each offering we lift up to God, we must offer salt.
We have been called to give our lives as living sacrifices- when you sacrifice your life to God, don’t forget the salt.
Comments
Post a Comment