Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You’ve lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage.
MATTHEW 5:13 MSG
Jesus clearly states that our role as Christians on the earth is a transformational one. We are called the “salt of the earth,” and salt essentially does three things: it adds flavor, preserves, and heals. So our task is to bring flavor, preservation, and healing to the world around us. This is why it is imperative that we be personally transformed from the inside out. If we have not been changed, we cannot bring out the “God-flavors” of this earth.
In the same way that salt was never designed to remain in the shaker, the church was never created to remain insular. We are called to live from the inside out both personally and corporately. God’s love flows from within us out into a hurting world. The church is to be a caring, gracious, and inclusive community. Our mandate is to love others as we love ourselves; it’s the only way that we can keep our “saltiness” and remain effective Christ followers.
“Salty” churches are wonderful places — actively preaching the good news; responding to human needs through loving service; transforming areas of injustice; and teaching, baptizing, and nurturing new believers. They have a revelation of why the church is here — that they serve as God’s hands and feet on the earth, called to reach a lost and broken world.
Every aspect of our church experience should actually empower us to “go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15 NKJV). We cannot afford to simply do church on Sunday — we must be the church seven days a week, leaving a beautiful flavor and aftertaste wherever we go.
MOMENT OF REFLECTION
How does this concept of church change your day-to-day life?