Monday, November 26, 2007

Salt and Light

I am sitting right now in Wildfour Bakery working on the December newsletter for the youth ministry. At the table next to me 3 older ladies are sitting and talking up a storm. By a storm I mean there is not a half-second pause between talkers anywhere in sight. Right now they are talking about (I don't mean to listen, but...) how unfair jails are because they are too nice for people and need to have worse conditions. They have spent most of the last hour talking about different seasonings for food, ice cream scoops, and how to rearrange the furniture in their homes.
Now, to clarify, I think it is entirely wonderful that these ladies enjoy one another's company, and I find no fault in the things they are talking about. This post isn't really about them, it's about me. I wonder, if when I am out with my wife or friends, we talk about things that would seem so trivial to those that can't help but hear our conversation. Not that we can't talk about sports or music or kids, but are those conversations filled with love, and do we ever get to the bigger, eternal things? Do the people that sit near me leave thinking how glad they are that they do/do not know me, or do they leave wanting to know more about how great my God is?
Jesus had this to say:

"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.

"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

Matthew 5:13-16 NIV

As Christians, we must be salt and light in this world, it matters for all eternity that we live out the teachings of Jesus. It all leaves me to ask myself, "How am I seasoning my world with Jesus?" How are you seasoning yours?

P.S.- they are talking about whose responsibility it is to make sure kids get up on time for school, and it is a pretty heated debate, pretty funny!

2 comments:

Bonnie said...

good thoughts for us all to ponder, Jesse...
I just have one trivial question...what exactly did you mean by "older"? :-)

Unknown said...

ha ha, i would guess early 40's. j/k I would say mid to late 60's