“Your lives are like salt among the people. But if you, like salt, become bland, how can your ‘saltiness’ be restored? Flavourless salt is good for nothing and will be thrown out and trampled on by others. “Your lives light up the world. For how can you hide a city that stands on a hilltop? And who would light a lamp and then hide it in an obscure place? Instead, it’s placed where everyone in the house can benefit from its light.” Matthew 5:13-15 TPT.
Many of the Lord’s people spend their lives waiting for an answer to prayer or some sort of a sign before they choose to dive into the river of life. Perhaps they are scared that their feet will be swept from under them? Let’s just clear that up shall we? They will be. I guarantee it! So many times what God asked of me, seemed to be so much more than I thought I had inside me. That’s because it takes faith to obey. It can take a lot of effort to press through the hurdy-gurdy of this life, to get to the stage where we are willing to take a risk and believe that what Jesus said …He meant!
Learning to be salty is character building. But as I obeyed, I found out that I was so much bigger inside than I thought I was! It is a bit like having a huge house, with many, many rooms, many bathrooms, cooking areas – and it is all yours – you own it. But you, and your ten family members, have chosen to squish yourselves into one kitchen, a bathroom and a bedroom. That limitation is coming from the way you are thinking.
What actually exists, EXISTS. What Jesus said is true is true, whether we choose to believe it or not. The Lord loves to draw people to Himself, His passion is to save them. We simply obey His instructions. Why are we limiting ourselves, when we know that our lives can be so much bigger? Let’s look at 2 Corinthians 10:12.
“Not that we [have the audacity to] venture to class or [even to] compare ourselves with some who exalt and furnish testimonials for themselves! However, when they measure themselves with themselves and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding and behave unwisely.” … It seems Christians are behaving like the Israelites did:: ” … they returned and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel.” … So today I want to ask – why are we limiting God to what we think we can do? As we look steadfastly at Jesus we will see this life more clearly.
If we inwardly close the door to new possibilities, we won’t know what we are missing. We will probably only see the hurdles and the pitfalls – faith-filled results are only seeable to those who use their faith. That’s what faith is, it is how it gets its substance. What we believe and act on, gives substance to what God has already decreed. Which is why we start with the Lord, first. “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1. It becomes “seeable” as we act on it. It provides “evidence” of our hope in Christ. That means when we choose to obey, we will do our faith a favour!
It is not good to compare yourself with others. Instead, let’s fight for our own portion of faith, and look firmly at Jesus so we can see our way ahead. There is nothing wrong with praying, do it! But let’s pray with Him, listening to Him, not AT Him. Pray with action in mind! Faith without relevant actions is a bit like wish-thinking. We need to make a decision to activate our faith and give it substance. Perhaps this world has been allowed to become so decadent, because we have forgotten how to be salt! Let’s act in faith on what He tells us to do or say, and refuse to take our eyes off Him!
In the above scripture in Matthew 5 the Lord tells us our lives are to reflect His light. When things grab you like a vice and you feel lower than a worm — start telling the darkness that is oppressing you that it has to leave because you are here to reflect Jesus, Who lit up this world. And the darkness can’t put HIM out! As we learn to defeat sin in our own lives, and forgive it in the lives of others — darkness hasn’t got a hope! Light can fade, but darkness disappears the second we turn on the light.
Let your light/LIFE shine. That doesn’t mean stand on a table or chair, or even a street corner and start preaching … It means the love Jesus gave YOU is given to you so you can share with the people-who-don’t-deserve-it. Meanwhile, we will probably have to repent for deciding who those people are. It’s called judgment. I find it is easier to just go ahead and talk to the people He tells me to speak to. And if someone rubs me the wrong way, then I need to remind myself that He died for them too.
Here’s the great part. Your enemies can actually become your new friends and family. However, we need to give Him time to change other people’s opinions – His timing is always perfect. Sometimes, I need reminding that the particular stew I am cheerfully sitting in, needs to have some salt in it! Salt shouldn’t take over, instead it brings out the flavour of everything around it. That’s our job, to help others shine. It takes faith to let the light that is in us – out. Especially when no-one else perceives they are sitting in darkness. Faith won’t fall on us, we need to step into it, and cultivate it through use. Bye. 👋.
