"You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless." - Matthew 5:13

The disciples good deeds will have profoundly positive effects on the world around them, to the glory of God. With this comes a warning from Jesus: Do nothing that might jeopardize that positive impact.

Salt was used for cleansing and preservation from decay (Ezek 16:4), in forming covenants (Lev 2:13, Num 18:19, @ Chron 13:5), and as flavor (Job 6;6, Mark 9:50). Salt that lost its flavor became useless, insipid, or dull (Mark 9:50, Luke 14:34).

If seasoning has no flavor, it has no value. If Christians make no effort to affect the world around them, they are of little value to God. If we are too much like the world, we are worthless. Christians should not blend in with everyone else. Instead, we should affect others positively, just as seasoning brings out the best flavor in food.

Are you salty? Do you affect the world around you? Do you stand out...or blend in? Do you bring out the best in others? Living this way is a challenge...its difficult and many times fights against our nature. But we have to remember that our nature is fallen. But there is hope still yet...for in Christ we are made new!

"He (Jesus) died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them. So we have stopped evaluating others from a human standpoint of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!" - 2Corinthians 5:15-17

Are you living as if the old life is gone? In Christ a new life has begun in us. We should no longer be living for ourselves. How do you see things in your life...is it from your perspective, or from Christ's?

Christians are brand-new people on the inside.The holy Spirit gives them new life and they are not the same anymore. We are not reformed, rehabilitated, or reeducated - we are recreated, living in union with Christ (Col 2:6-7). At conversion we don't merely turn over a new leaf; we begin a new life under a new Master.

This is not a superficial change that will be quickly superseded by another novelty. This is an entirely new order of all creation under Christ's authority. It requires a new way of looking at ALL people and ALL of creation. Does your life reflect this new perspective?

The bottom line is that I am no longer in charge of my life. When I was in charge I did a horrible job! I made mistakes...I hurt people...I hurt myself. I wandered aimlessly from one escapade to the next with no purpose, no value, and no peace. As a servant of Jesus, I have purpose, value and peace. Every thing I do can be a "thank you" to God. Every word I say can be worship. My life can be a blessing to others and can produce life giving fruit.

I don't know your story...I can only tell you mine, and my life will never be the same. Although  I struggle with my "old self" trying to rear it's ugly head, I push on, renewing my mind and heart with the truth of what Jesus did for me on the cross. Jesus took my place, my punishment, my shame...and he did it willingly. The creator of all things chose to be confined to a human body, born as a helpless baby, walk among corrupted people, and die a painful death for me!..for you! If  you or I were the only people on the earth, he still would have come. You see this is personal, highly personal,. This isn't some doctrine or rote overly spoken creation of man...this is the high and Holy God, Creator and Judge, this is the Perfect Eternal one with Dominion over all things...this is the one that we cannot even comprehend in our tiny little brains....and he loves us enough to have compassion and mercy...he made a way back to himself when we had broken the way originally given to us with our disobedience.

I do not know who reads this, and if you are a christian or not, but I ask that today if you call yourself a Christian...that you would take a good hard look at you life. Are you salty? Do you look at people like Christ does, or are you still living as you did before? Is you mind thinking judgement or love...do you critique or bless? Do you rate people and places in such a way as if your opinion is the "be all end all" of all opinions? Or, do you humble yourself, and plead with the Holy Spirit to help you grow and be Christ minded in order to affect the world for your Master? Do you add flavor to this world, helping Him to cleanse and preserve others from the decay of the fall...helping Him to form a new covenant with those around you who currently walk without Him?

So today I challenge you to give your life a look, and before you lose your flavor, BE SALTY!