S196P27 – Growth spurts: saltiness
Lk. 14:34-35
Salt is good; but if the salt has lost its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is neither fit for the land nor for the dunghill, but men throw it out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!
The beginning of my sanctification was marked by a number of spiritual leaders who influenced me greatly for the kingdom and taught me so much of my foundational teachings. I did not idolize them, but they certainly became sources of spiritual knowledge and wisdom for me as I grew. One thing I can say that they all had in common was that they were distinct from the world. It was obvious that these people carried something different, and that spiritual seasoning was attractive to someone seeking God. While most have grown in that, one person in particular let her saltiness fade away. One major life decision was all it took to put God aside for something she desired more. Now she has blended in with the rest of the world, sharing the same bland flavor.
There are many things which should separate us from those who do not follow Jesus Christ. We can lump all of those things together and call it our saltiness. This is the spiritual flavor we are supposed to carry and spread. The world is bland in its death, but we are seasoned with the life of Christ. For all of us, this is an acquired taste because our natural inclination is to desire sin. Once we tasted of the Spirit, however, that saltiness appealed to us and continues to do so. The thing is, those who are lost in the world are looking for something with spiritual flavor. It is like trying dishes from a new cuisine in a different part of the world. You experience flavors and textures you might not have experienced before then. Regardless of whether you end up liking that cuisine, you know that what you have tasted is much different than what you have experienced so far.
God allows the world to get a taste of him through us. As those who are to walk the earth the way Christ did, we are to carry the same Spirit who accompanied him as He healed the sick and delivered the possessed. There obviously was something different about that man they call Jesus, and there should be something obviously different about us as well. As the world continues to grow deeper and deeper in darkness, and as we hopefully continue to grow deeper and deeper in light, that difference becomes more distinct. It is our saltiness which lets the world know whose we are, and we cannot afford to let ourselves go bland. Father, thank You for allowing us to carry the flavor of your Spirit in this world, and do as You will to make that flavor stronger in us daily.