Seasoned with Salt

Mr 9:50 Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another.

Col 4:6 Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.

Mt 5:13 ¶ Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.

According to the late John Phillips salt does three things:

1.       Salt adds tang.

2.       Salt arrests corruption

3.       Salt creates thirst.

When a family is first interested in our school our staff offers to give them a tour of our campus hoping to generate some questions along the way and to answer their questions as well. The virtual tour helps but often times whets an appetite to see and to know more. I love giving tours for more than one reason. I get to know people better and I really like stirring their interests in other areas of life. You can learn a lot about people if you spend time with them. Sooner or later I ask the question, “Do you attend a church close by?” That’s a very good question and is not offensive and it gives me an open door in their beliefs concerning Jesus Christ.

While on the tour, I get to observe the children and listen to their conversation between parents and find out their interests as a family. I can pretty much learn and know if the child is obedient or rebellious. The attitude of a child is very important during this time. A tour also gives the parents an opportunity to know me. Often times, I purposely do not reveal that I am the Principal. I do this for a couple of reasons:  I don’t want them to feel intimidated but I desire for them to relax and feel at home, comfortable, if you please. Also, I need for them to ask questions and lots of them.

Once they know that I am the Principal, their countenance changes and many times they turn to a more political side. It is very important to hold their attention as I try to sell our school.  Therefore, I must watch what I say and how I say it.  At times this is very difficult for me. Do you have trouble with your words? I’m from the South and too many times people from other parts of this United States, talk differently. I have to watch my slang.  My conversation must be seasoned with salt. It can’t be over whelming with too much information either. My words need to be kind, mild, if you please and not rash or condescending. I am representing the Lord Jesus Christ and His Christian education through our local church. Without fail, I must find out their spiritual condition. Only by listening to the Holy Spirit I am able to do this, and so it is with you, friend.

We may only have this moment! We have to be able to answer and respond to people as Christ would respond, especially those who are “without” or outside of Christianity. It takes work and practice and the constant reminder that Jesus walked about doing good and speaking absolute and perfect words to those He surrounded Himself with while on this earth. He also was the Master of perfect words. I am not! Are you like me? I am the epitome of a fool at times. I cannot let up for one second or I find that my expressions, my words, and actions are totally misunderstood, and off I go digging myself out of a hole that may become deeper and deeper as the conversation continues if I don’t purposely add the salt!

My speech, your speech, needs to be, MUST be, always with grace, seasoned with salt in order to give the right answer to the one who may question us or the one who needs answers and doesn’t even know the question!!

What would you do or say to……

·         The sick mom with a child who needs help, clothes, money, milk and sees all Christians as hypocrites?

·         The hurting wife who learned her husband has just recently had an affair with the church pianist?

·         The family who lost their only child?

·         The father who lost his job and the rent is past due?

·         The Muslim, the Buddhist, the Jehovah Witness, the Mormon, the Jew.

·         The frustrated parent in Wal-Mart trying to get a prescription filled while holding a crying child?

·         The wealthy parent who thinks she needs nothing but is empty, without hope, needing everything and is argumentative, oppositional, hateful,….(This one is difficult for me. I know what I WANT to do and sometimes it is needed!)

·         The young girl who goes to the altar inappropriately dressed but cries out of control seeking God?

·         The bus kid who just can’t seem to sit still?

The Holy Spirit knows all these people above and their circumstances, but you may not. You and I have the responsibility to be ready and to know how to answer EVERY man (or woman and child). An answer may be just a hug, but we must be ready.

Jesus knew how to answer EVERY man!

·         Jesus knew how to answer the woman at the well. John 4:13 & 14

·         Jesus knew how to answer Peter, as he called out to God while walking on the water.
               Matt. 14: 27

·         Jesus knew how to answer Saul on the road to Damascus before he became saved Paul!
               Acts 9:5

·         Jesus knew how to answer Zacchaeus, the tax collector. Luke 19:5

·         Jesus knew how to answer Judas Iscariot. John 13:27

·         Jesus knew how to answer the blind man. John 9:3-5

·         Jesus knew how to answer Nicodemus. John 3: 5-21

·         Jesus knew how to answer the nobleman whose son was sick unto death. John 4:48-50

·         Jesus knew how to answer Phillip when he found a lad with five barley loaves and two
               small fish. Mark 6:37 & 38

You and I are witnesses of this awesome, omnipotent Savior, as He allows us to be an instrument ready for use by the Holy Spirit of God!!  1Ti 4:13 Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Jesus added tang, arrested corruption and created a thirst to know more truth and so can you and me!

Isn’t that what this road trip is all about for this year of 2015? If we KNOW the Word, we will have the WORDS to say as Jesus would have said, seasoned with salt!

Until next time, Lord willing,

Sharon