Be salt to your world!

Matthew 5:13-16

¹³"Let me tell you why you are here. You're here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You've lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage.

^14-16"Here's another way to put it: You're here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We're going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don't think I'm going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I'm putting you on a light stand. Now that I've put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you'll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.
Food for thought!
In the Bible Jesus calls himself various names like, I am the Goodshepherd, I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, I am the Vine, I am the Gate, and many others. But other times Jesus calls us names, like today he is referring to us as "salt" and "light". What is Jesus telling us about us?
Jesus calls us salt because of our preserving ability; we preserve society from going rotten; from going bad; from getting destroyed. Do you remember the story of Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 19? Those people could have been saved if there had been just 10 righteous men or Christians in Sodom and Gomorrah; but there were nobody, and the whole city was destroyed. So please don't go bad if and when everybody around you goes or does evil. If at your work place you see everybody cutting the corners, please, you don't follow suit; the presence and the prayers of "salty" Christians preserves and saves the rest from catastrophe.
Jesus call us salt because of our penetrating ability, just as salt will penetrate and infiltrate whatever it touches. It is an aggressive substance. We have been called by the Lord to be an active force in the world around us. However, it is possible for us to loose our saltiness as well. This happens to us when we come into too close contact with the world; when we get to be more like the world than we are like the Lord, then we have lost that thing that sets us apart and makes us valuable to the world. "If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You've lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage."
Jesus calls us salt because of our purifying ability. Salt is a cleaner. In the Bible, Elisha cleansed the waters at Jericho with salt (2 Kings 2:19-22). In ancient times, newborn babies were washed in salt to cleanse their bodies and to give firmness to their skin, (Ezekiel. 16:4). Salt when applied to the wound can clean it. Wherever salt is there is purity. Please, don't be offended if people stop talking (nonsense) when you come around. Just thank God that you are acting as a purifying force in the world around you. People should feel uncomfortable to say nonsense in your presence. If and when we show up we encourage people to gossip, to say and do immoral things, it is because we have lost the salt in us; we are good for nothing.
 Jesus calls salts because of our pleasing ability. Salt always blends and adds flavor to food. You know from experience that some food is just tasteless without salt; salt brings out the best out of food. So too, the Christian should flavor the world around him. As salt, we are to help other people be and do their best.
Jesus calls us salt because of our poisoning ability. Salt can kill. Ever poured salt on a slug or iron? Slugs and salt do not mix! Salt poured on a lawn will kill the grass. In the Old Testament Abimelech took a city and spread salt all over the place to prevent the ground from being used to grow crops again; he killed the fields with salt (Judges 9:45). By the same token, when Jesus comes into a life, drinking, fighting, hating, killing, drugging, loose living, gossiping, etc, are all supposed to end in the name of Jesus (2 Cor. 5:17.)
Jesus calls us salt because of our promoting ability. Salt creates a thirst for water in those who are exposed to it. As salt, the Christian has the wonderful opportunity to promote a thirst for Jesus in the world. Remember what the Lord told us? He said that out of our bellies would flow rivers of living water (John 7:37-38). When we live as Christ, when we take the call of Jesus seriously and live right, look right, act right, talk right, worship right, dress right, love right, etc. we able to create a thirst for Jesus in the hearts of those around us.
Ours is the business of purifying, preserving, penetrating, pleasing and promoting love, peace, kindness just Jesus did in his time. God help us to be salty Christians.

Btw. Salt was very valuable in the ancient world. So valuable, in fact, that the Roman soldiers were often paid their wages not in money but in salt. This payment was called "salarium," from which word comes our word "salary" (wage).