Being Salty

I was reading Proverbs 2 recently before going to sleep and prayed that I would “train my heart to listen when He speaks and open my spirit wide to receive discernment.” I want to learn how to share the joy I have in Jesus with others, being the salt.

In the middle of the night, the Holy Spirit prompted me to think deeper about being salty. I recalled that salt was used on the offerings. So in the morning I began my research. This is what I came up with.

Jesus said, “Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be the salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this Earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness?” (Matt. 5:13 [MSG]).

There is a phrase that states a person can be “worth one’s salt.” It means to be effective and efficient, deserving of one’s pay. Salt is essential for human life, and until refrigeration, was the primary way to preserve food. It has been said you should be the salt of the earth. This means to be a person of great worth and reliability.

There is more to salt than meets the eye─something that is so common to us that we take it for granted, but it is actually complex, beautiful and inspiring. Let me explain.

“Season all your grain offering with salt. Do not leave the salt of the covenant of God out of your grain offerings; add salt to all your offerings.” (Lev. 2:13 [NIV])

The offerings were burned. So I wondered what happened to the salt when exposed to fire. Having witnessed all the other cool things the Holy Spirit has revealed to me in the past, I was excited too see more of God’s mysteries. God did not disappoint. So now we shall delve into the wonder world of quantum physics!

Quantum is a fixed elemental unit of energy. (MW) Physics is the science dealing with the properties, changes and interactions of matter and energy. (MW) Not having a background in the field of study, I reached out to a senior chemistry lecturer at a Colorado university.

Salt is an ionic compound made of sodium and chloride ions. An ion is an electrically charged atom or group of atoms. (MW) Sodium is a soft, silvery-white, highly reactive metal. It is an alkali metal because it has a single electron in its outer shell that readily donates to creating a positively charged atom. It is also a good conductor of electricity and heat. When heat (fire) is applied, the sodium ions accelerate gaining positive energy. When the energy level falls, it gives off a bright-yellow light.

Sodium is the seventh most abundant element in the Earth’s crust. Remember, God created man out of the dust of the ground. (Gen. 2:7) So salt is a part of us and we need it to survive. Biologically, sodium is an essential mineral that regulates blood volume, blood pressure, pH, and osmotic equilibrium which is the tendency of fluids to pass through a membrane so as to equalize the concentrations on both sides. It is also an electrolyte in neuron function. An electrolyte is any chemical compound that ionizes when molten or in solution and becomes capable of conducting electricity.

So what does this mean for us spiritually?

1. 1. Highly reactive. Boy, can I relate to that. When heat is applied to my life, I can, at times, be highly reactive. Thankfully, with the help of Jesus in me, I can be transformed to become more like him and less like the sinful me.
  2. Positively charged. The raw material to be positively charged is already a part of me. I just need the help of Jesus to tap into and access it.

1. 1. A good conduit. That is what we are, a way for the love of God to flow through us to others. “The aroma of God’s gifts to you will begin to waft toward others. You can’t stop it. It isn’t you; it’s him. He is drawing people to himself and changing the world though how he made you.” Nicole Johnson.
  2. When heat is applied. God never promised that we wouldn’t have any more problems. “These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold – though your faith is far more precious than gold.” (1 Pet. 1:7 [NIV]) Salt does not actually burn, so God is not trying to destroy us with fiery trials, but to transform us to be the light for him. But wait, there’s more! Salt is produced by evaporation. This happens either by solar evaporation or by using some heating device. Solar power comes from the sun. The salt produced in our lives comes from the power of the Son. (I’m saving that part for my next post, “Being Shiny.”)

Since we have the marvelous benefit of Jesus in our lives, helping us, guiding us, teaching us, giving us strength and daily sustenance for our souls, we need to be the quiet, faithful witnesses for Him, living a real life with the desire to be a little bit more like Jesus every day. Why? Because people are watching. They might be watching you on purpose to see what kind of a Christian you are. Or they might be watching your actions subconsciously (occurring with little or no conscious perception on the part of the individual). (MW)

Either way, your actions still get absorbed by them. We might be the only Jesus some people will ever see. Do you want to be a salty example, making them thirsty for what you’ve got in your life? You know, living your life with seasoning and flavor that makes others say, “I’ll have what she’s having!” (Like the restaurant scene in the 1989 movie When Harry Met Sally.) If you are unfamiliar with the reference, you can look it up on You Tube.

“Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone” (Colossians 4:5–6 [NIV]).

Melissa Moore (Beth Moore’s daughter) said, “I want the life and wisdom of Jesus to so transform me that even when I’m not deliberately referencing a Bible verse, I remind someone of Jesus.”

Dwight Edwards wrote in Releasing Rivers Within, “Let our lives serve…as living breathing reasons why people should take God seriously.”

St. Francis of Assisi said it best: “Preach the gospel all the time: if necessary, use words.”

I want to be that salty for Jesus! I want my life to be so darn tasty and savory that others see it and want a big ol’ helping of Jesus for themselves!

Once you begin being salty, you will be amazed how exciting it is, to the point where you purposely begin to look for opportunities to share the love of Jesus with others. You don’t have to be preachy or over the top. Just be simple, like a child. If you can explain things in a way a six-year-old would be able to understand it, then you are being humble in your approach.