Salt & Light

You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless. You are the light of the world- like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. Matthew 5:13-14

Hi Friends!

Today we're talking about salt and light. And on my page, that is represented by the ocean and the sun. Have you ever been swimming in the ocean, and gotten a mouthful of water? I have, and I have to say, it didn't taste too good! So what did Jesus mean when He said His followers are the salt of the earth? There are differing opinions on this. In Jesus' day, salt was used as a preservative and as a flavor enhancer. So, some people think that Jesus was telling His followers to preserve truth and goodness in this fallen world. Others think Jesus was telling His followers to enhance the world- making God's work stand out from the norms of life. In Jesus' day, salt was valuable. The value of salt lies in it's effect on what is around it. And that's what we, as Jesus' followers, need to do. We need to affect those around us, to impact them in a way that draws them to Jesus. We need to be a positive impact on our communities, living differently than the world. And that brings us to how we are to be light. If we are living differently than the world, we will stand out, or shine. But we aren't to stand out for ourselves. We are to stand out for God's glory. This world is dark. But we know, when we turn a light on in a dark room, the darkness vanishes. Our presence must be like that light- standing for the truth and living in a godly way so that people are drawn to God and embrace His truth. It's easy, as humans, to muddle this up. We can do things in a way that cause others question God or turn away from Him, just like I spit out that salty ocean water. So, I think, dear friends, we must be gentle in our approach- bold, yes most definitely, but gentle, being sure to show the love that Jesus showed. Even when He was guiding and teaching sinners, He loved them. His only anger was directed to the religious leaders who thought they were oh so holy.

Be salt and light. Be like Jesus.

Page details: Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps just released this fabulous alpha set called Ellis Square. Don't ya love it? I sure do! I started by drawing the waves and sun with pencil, then used watercolor crayons to color it in, and finished it by outlining the lines with a Micron pen. Then I stamped the words on top.

Have a blessed week, dear ones! Andrea