In Psalm 12 David expressed his concern to the Lord about the moral decline of his day. He cried out, “Help, O Lord, for the godly are fast disappearing!” And at the end of the chapter, he added, “The wicked freely strut about when what is vile is honored among men.” (vs. 1 & 8)
David’s concern is so relevant. What he wrote could’ve been written about our situation today. What’s good and right is being slandered and what’s evil and vile embraced. God help us!
On the one hand, the declining morals in our land cause us to long for Christ’s return when He will set all things right. I long for Jesus’ return when we will be united with Him forever.
But meanwhile, Jesus has left us here with an assignment—an assignment that I fear many of us have forgotten.
Jesus said to His disciples (that’s us), “You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world.” (Matthew 5:13-14)
Though there are many characteristics of salt, the one He draws attention to here is its flavor, its savory nature. Jesus adds, “But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor?” Salt enhances flavor. Salt brings life to bland, tasteless food.
As representatives of Jesus, He wants us to show the world that He brings life to a dull, hopeless existence. We want to cry out to the world, “Taste and see that the Lord is good!” (Psalm 34:8) But I think that many of us have lost our flavor. The world looks at us and we leave a bland taste in their mouths instead of pleasant and flavorful.
Jesus also calls us to be light. Light dispels darkness. Light illumines. Light reveals what would otherwise remain hidden. But He warns us not to hide His light in our lives. We must let His light shine through us to the world.
What does that mean? It means that when the world sees us, they should see Christ in us. They should say, “Oh, that’s what Jesus is like.” But so many Christians are caught up in “deeds of darkness” or their own “junk” that the world looks at us and they don’t see any difference between us and them.
I believe that the temptation to lose our savory influence and to hide the light of Christ is very real for every follower of Jesus. We all need to be alert and awake. We need to abide in or remain in Jesus every day. (See John 15.)
Living in and for Jesus is a daily choice, “Jesus, I purpose to follow you today. To do what is pleasing to you and to represent you well through my life and words.”
Will you join with me in doing just that? Let’s show the world what Jesus is like. Let’s live our lives like salt and light, in a way that attracts others to Him.
©2019 Rob Fischer