Matthew 5:13  “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.

Yesterday I wrote about what we allow in our lives and something I called the ‘skunk factor’.  A serious issue with a bit of humor applied to make a point.  I received a comment from a dear friend, “Have a great skunk-free day ;-)”   We must recognize that the effect of allowing inappropriate habits, behaviors, attitudes, etc… has a far greater negative impact on us than dealing with the temporary smell of a skunk.

The ‘inappropriate’ items I refer to include both what we do and how we do it – and what we don’t do.  Scripture is filled with descriptions of things to do or attributes that should characterize our lives – they reflect our ‘saltiness’.  Think of something as simple as saying thank you for a kindness that is done.  Failure to say thank you communicates a lack of recognition or gratitude.  It also might be due to an unfortunate habit of allowing a preoccupation with other details to override its expression. (Think unsaltiness.)

Saying thank you can be perfunctory – and while expressing recognition, it will be low on salt.  (Think pass the salt)  When sincerely done, it reflects genuine gratitude in one’s heart.  It communicates appreciation – rather than taking something for granted – and this quality is typically conveyed through how the thank you is expressed.  (Think – oooh is this good!).

Consider this parallel illustration:  On my first flight to Europe, shortly after take-off, the flight attendants passed out moist, hot hand towels to everyone.  This had never happened on a domestic flight and was wonderful! I vividly remember holding that moist, hot towel against my face and running it over my hands.  Such a simple thing can be so small yet so noteworthy and wonderful to experience.

Now consider these three alternatives in light of our discussion of expressing genuine gratitude: 1) Failure to say thank you = No towel – it’s absence is noteworthy!  2) Saying a perfunctory thank you = A moist, cold towel – better than no towel but not what it could be.  3) Expression of a genuine, sincere thank you = A hot, moist towel – YES!

Salty lives reflect our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Saltiness has to do with who we are.  The world is in desperate need of salty Christians!

To be continued…