Making Disciples:

Salt&Light: A call to stand out.

We are Believers, called to be the salt and light of the world. I thought about that today and I am convicted in so many ways about this, day to day I am not really different from anyone else around me. Do I really stand out in the crowd? If you observe me in my daily life would you know if I really walk in a relationship with my Lord? Am I just going along with the flow without impacting someone's life? 

In Matthew chapter 5 Jesus starts out by teaching the sermon on the mount, a really controversial type of teaching in those days and I am sure even more so today. Now I cannot talk about the whole sermon on the mount through to Matthew chapter 7, but I want you to please look at verses 13 through 16 with me.

13-15 : "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt should lose its taste, how can it be made salty? It's no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled on by men. You are the light of the world. 14. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden. 15. No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lamp stand, and it gives light for all who are in the house." (HCSB)

I am humbled today, I need Jesus now more than ever. My actions are to be full of flavour, pleasing to God. Not to even speak of how culture has taught us that certain things are acceptable, culture even teaches that these things are ok for believers. We no longer measure how we should live by using God's Word as a standard, we are too afraid to stand out in the crowds. Have we lost our flavour? Is people's lives not important to us? We have to realise that sometimes we are the closest some people are ever going to get to hearing the good news of God's salvation for man, By the death of His son Jesus Christ, we can have life in full and be reunited with Him. 

You cannot see a blemish in the dark, there has to be light present in order for you to do so. Please do not misunderstand me, I am not talking about telling them that they are going  to hell because of what they are doing (There is a time and a place for that). You first have to be the light for them to see that you are not doing things the way they do. In missions we call that: Earning the right to speak. You cannot approach someone and talk about their sin if you are unwilling to be obedient to do what God has told you about yours.

I am preaching to myself as there are many things that I have not completely surrendered to God, will you take a step with me as I surrender my whole life and everything I have into God's hands to do as He pleases? 

With regards to standing out, I really want to share another 2 verses with you that I know is not easy to obey. These verses have the ability to change the way that the world sees followers of Jesus as a whole, a simple command of Jesus to us as His disciples: 

John13:34-35: " I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you must also love one another. 35. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." (HCSB)

This is hard, we are to love one another as believers. Regardless of our differences, imagine if we all join forces together in love? People will see Jesus in us. That my beloved, is being the salt and the light. Join me as I seek more of Jesus and as I strive to shine my light and to be the salt.

I end with Jesus' words in Matthew 5:16: " In the same way, let your light shine before men, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven. " (HCSB)