Wednesday, November 2, 2011

November 3, 2011

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:13-16

Salty living means that we must embrace a lifestyle that is consistent with the character of our Father. It means that we will take seriously the demands of the beatitudes in our everyday life.

As kingdom people intent on obeying the Word of God, we know we cannot tread lightly upon these matters. As we hear Jesus begin to teach His disciples a few things about the way they should approach teir religious activity, we too must listen reverently - and be prepared to obey completely - if we're to receive our Father's reward.

When salt loses its saltiness, it becomes useless to function as salt. Christianity can be just as useless without a lifestyle that embraces the teachings of the kingdom. Then our conduct doesn't become the fuel that makes our witness stand out like a light in the dark.

Jesus discussed three important aspects of kingdom living in the first part of Matthew 6 - fasting, prayer and giving.

* Fasting prepares us for pwerful prayer.
* Prayer moves us to generosity.
* Generous giving provides visible evidence of our relationship to God.

And for the benefit of all the rest of  us who struggle with this from time to time - Jesus was not about to gloss over any one of these matters without confronting us on the issue of motive. The Pharisee prayed to be seen; the sinner prayed privately (Luke 18:9-14). Some gave for public acclaim; the widow quietly gave her all (Luke 21:1-4)

Salty behavior both demands and deserves illumination. Unless we explain the source of our righteousness, the world will neversee the light.

Ask God to reveal to you your true motives for kingdom work. Are you salt and light?