Salt and Light....what is that really???

I have always sang a song that says to be salt and light in the world, love the song but never really stopped to think what it means. Then, this past week a good friend said it to me, go be salt and light. So I decided I needed to really figure out what it means. Of course the internet and all its splendor has tons to say about it, but I wanted to figure out what it means to me to be salt and light to the world.
To me, light is the easy part. We all know what it means to be a light in a dark world. I always tell the kids at our church that they may be the only light of Jesus that other kids at school have the chance to see. We have to be a reflection of Jesus. Something I read today said that we are simply luminaries of the One True Light, just like the moon only shines as a reflection of the sun. I totally get that part....it was the salt that stumped me. What does that mean???
So I looked up some descriptions, I tried some definitions....there are so many ideas out there to attach yourself to...but I decided I needed to know for myself, what it was to mean in my life, in my daily walk. Something I saw today was about a verse in Matthew where Jesus says you are the salt of the earth. This article said that you have to understand each little word to understand the whole picture. First, who is the "You" in that verse?? It was the disciples, but in this day and age aren't we all just disciples, followers of Christ? Of course we are. The next word is "are". He didn't says you should be, or go be, or try to be....He said you are. No hesitation, no reservations, you are by your heritage the salt, whether you like it our not. Next word is salt, salt has some special qualities that make it salt. Salt, in that time, was precious, serious trades and payments were made in salt. (I even found out that's where the word salary comes from) Secondly, salt penetrates any food it is added to, it goes through the entire dish. You may not see it, but it always gets to every part of a recipe. And finally salt was used to perserve things and keep them from spoiling. Is it all starting to add up for you too??? So, if you have a plate full of food that is bland or needs spicing up, we add salt. It can bring out the best in food, it can flavor an entire meal. Even if it is only a few tiny granules, it can affect a huge amount of food. And lastly is "in the world"...that means you have to go out there!!!

Here is the final kicker for me....something I read said salt is put INTO food, not kept apart from the food. The thing about it is, as christians sometimes we want to sit back in our little christian homes, and our little familiar churches, and only hang out with our christian friends....but to truly be salt and light in the world, we have to get out there and be a part of it, affect some change. We don't go out there to save the world, we go out there to change the world, improve it, make it better. Show people what can make it better, or really WHO can make it better. We can love people where they are, as they are. My dad always says you have to work with people where they are. And you don't have to scream your testimony at them, or preach the gospel at them, just show them the love of Jesus and the rest will come in time. Once they figure out that you are different, they will want to ask you why or how. Remember, salt always makes you thirsty!!!

I had always felt like less of a christian because I suck at testifying....but maybe I am equipped with a different way to testify other than quoting verses or praying in the spirit...maybe my gift is to softly but effectively show someone their life can be different, and then explaining why.

I hope this makes you stop and think a little....it sure did me. And by the way, once I can figure out how, that's the song that will play on my Blog "Say So" by Isreal.