Posted on by intentional4christ

Advent Calendar day 22: Season with Salt

Have you ever had a conversation about someone or something and felt worse afterwards? This year, a few of my conversations felt that way. There were lots of situations that I had very strong opinions about and did not hesitate to voice them out but I always seemed to feel less unburdened and more ungodly afterwards. I always felt like I had let myself down because of the flavour of those conversations which in my opinion were irreverent. Today’s readings is an admonishing about this exact issue:

But avoid irreverent, empty chatter, which will only lead to more ungodliness,

2 Tim 2:16 BSB

As the year comes to an end and I start reflecting on how I can be better in the new year, this will definitely be something I would watch out for: empty, idle, and godless chatter and babbling about people and situations and instead try to be flavour my conversations with grace and season it with salt.

Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

Colossians 4:6 NIV

I have always wondered what it means to season one’s conversation with salt- I assume it was an expression that came from the ancient Near East. To take it literally, I look at the function of salt in adding taste, adding flavour, and preserving and I think this is what conversations with every one I encounter should be like. People should walk away feeling enriched and with their dignity preserved and that is what seasoning my conversations with salt mean to me. What does that statement mean to you?

Yours Truly

Posted on by intentional4christ

The worthless Christian

This week I was reading Matthew 5 and I decided to linger in a few verses I have read many times:

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 underfoot. Matthew 5:13 NIV

Let’s take a minute to unpack this. The very essence of salt; what gives it its name and its very inherent properties is its saltiness. We can go on to talk about the functions of salt such as flavouring, preservation etc. But what I want to dwell on for a minute is on salt losing its essence as salt. If salt does not have salt then it is just worthless crystalline “stuff”. I am at a loss as to what to even call it because we all know salt as salt… saltiness and all!

As I pondered on that I thought about the many people who call themselves Christians today but have no essence of a Christ-like life. They are Christians without the Christ; they are just “-ians” and like salt without its saltiness,  that is just something worthless. Reflect on your life, are you living a life that is worthy of using the title Christian? Is Christ the essence of your life? Do you live a life that reflects the properties of a Christ-like, Christ-filled, Christ-centred life? Are you a  Christian or an “-ian” (No offence to the those who are legally called Ian 🙂 ) Think about that!

I am going to leave you with some food for thought and next time we will talk about this at length:

You are the light of the world. A town built 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,  [I emphasize in the same way] let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5: 14-16 NIV

Be intentional about living out your life worthy of the calling to be a CHRISTIAN. Don’t be an -IAN!

Yours truly.