Jesus tells His followers that they ARE the salt and the light. He doesn’t say that they should be the salt and the light, or that they can be –but instead, He says -
THEY ARE
If you are a follower of Jesus Christ, then you too ARE the salt and the light. Not because of who you are just on your own, but who you are with Jesus working through you. As Christians, our hearts and lives are transformed as we seek Him. And because of this transformation, we are to be an example to the world around us and honor God in all that we do.
All throughout the Bible, God calls His children to holiness. Holiness means being set apart. While we will never achieve complete holiness on this earth, we are to pursue it daily. And as we set our eyes on Jesus, He grows us. We seek Him and trust Him in all things. And with this growth, we are to make a difference in the world around us. We are the children of God, and we are the salt and the light to a lost and dying world.
So, what does it look like to be salt and light? How can we practically live this out each day? Below you will find practical ways to live this out with the power of Christ at work within you.
1
Examine your heart, desires, intentions, and lives regularly.
Jesus’ purpose was always to do the will of His Father and since He is our example, we are to do the same. We should regularly ask God to search our hearts and reveal to us any areas of our lives that are not honoring Him. The growth and change of the Christian in the smallest everyday moments can impact the ones that witness it.
Pray Psalm 139:23-24
Ask God to reveal to you any areas of your life that are not in alignment with His Will. That He would give you wisdom, discernment, and strength to walk in a manner that honors Him.
2
Start your day with Jesus
We pour out to others what we have been filled up with. If we intentionally prioritize our days so that we fill up first with Jesus, then that is what we pour out to others.
Seek God first each day. Matthew 6:33
Spend the first minutes of your day reading your Bible and praying so that Christ can direct you throughout the day. If you are looking for a weekly reading plan you can subscribe and receive the joyfully HIS weekly Bible reading plan in your inbox every Monday morning. You can also download a blank template to write in
your own plan.
3
Pray for people
God tells us that we are to love others and one of the greatest ways that we can do that is to pray for them. Prayer not only changes the lives of the ones that we are praying for, but it also changes our lives because as we pray and watch God move, we are encouraged in our own walk. And in these moments, our faith is strengthened.
It is helpful to keep a prayer journal of the people that you are praying for and how you have witnessed the Lord answer these prayers.
4
Share the Gospel
As followers of Christ, we are called to make Him known to others. It is our responsibility and our privilege. In Genesis God told Adam and Eve to be fruitful and multiply. In other words, they were told to bear fruit for Him and grow His Kingdom. In Matthew 28, God essentially says the same thing when he says, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Our purpose is to honor God and by sharing His love with others we do just that.
5
Serve others
Serving others is an act of obedience to Christ that shows compassion to, builds community, and grows relationships. Focusing on the needs of others displays humility and selflessness. Jesus is our example, and His life was lived as an act of service to the world around Him. While we are not called to sacrifice ourselves in the manner that Jesus did on the Cross, we are called to sacrifice our time, energy, and talents for the sake of the Kingdom of God.
There are so many ways that we can serve others while at the same time pointing them to Christ. Here are just a few examples: Cook dinner for someone in a busy season of life, offer to babysit so a husband and wife can have a date night, run errands for someone that is unable to do it for themselves, send an encouraging letter to someone, and have coffee and just listen.
We will be sharing many other practical ways that we can serve others via social media.
If you aren’t already –follow along with us and let's be a light to the world around us.
I certainly realize that life is busy, hectic, chaotic, and crazy. I battle this weekly myself, but each day I intentionally ask myself this question: “Is my to-do lists honoring God by being the salt and the light or is it simply to meet a goal that has no eternal impact?”
My challenge for all of you and myself as well is that we walk through this week with the intentionality of making Christ known to the world around us one little step at a time.
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