Stay Salty

If you’re like me, you probably heard at least one sermon about “salt and light” growing up. And if you’re like me, you probably don’t recall the “salt” part being addressed nearly as much as the “light”.

Around nine months ago, I noticed that while I could tell you all about being “the light of the world,” I couldn’t really tell you anything about being “the salt of the earth.” I began to think about it, and while I was doing so, these are some of the things that ran through my mind:

“Well, I guess Jesus is just using two different things that we’re familiar with [salt, light] to basically tell us that we should be an example of Him.”

“No, no, that’s not right. If He could have made his point using only one thing, He probably would have just done that.”

“Being the light of the world means that we shine the Light of Christ, and walk in the Light with Jesus… so what in the world does ‘being salt’ have to do with anything?”

And finally, “Well, salt is salty… so if we’re salt, we’re salty!”

It was at this point that I redefined for myself a word that our culture uses as a synonym for being upset or ticked off at something.

Salty.

“To prevent decay and restrain corruption while seasoning the people and culture of a lost and dying world. It means living out what it means to be a follower of Christ.”

If you are “preventing decay” in something, or “seasoning” something, you are having a large effect on that item. The amount of salt you put in your macaroni and cheese is going to have a large effect on the way it tastes. If you’re trying to preserve meat, but don’t salt it enough, the meat is going to rot.

There’s another word out there that means, “to have a strong or direct effect on something or someone.”

Impact.

When you are following the above definition of “salty”, living out what it means to be a follower of Christ, you have the opportunity to have a strong effect on someone. You have the opportunity to make an IMPACT on someone’s life.

As a TeenPacter, “impact” is probably not a foreign concept to you. You see this being lived out at every TeenPact event you attend. But is it something you take home with you? Or is “impact” something you only let be a part of your life for one or two weeks of the year?

I’ll say this again. If you are living out what it means to be a follower of Christ, you have the opportunity to make an impact on someone’s life. And you can do this inside AND outside of TeenPact.

You can make an impact in your church, in your school, in your friend groups, family, and extracurricular activities.

You can make an impact in the airport, at the mall, or in the drive-thru at Chick-fil-A.

You just have to make the decision, “I want to be someone that will make an impact.”

“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.” Matthew 5:13

Make an impact.

Stay salty.