Matthew 5:13-16 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. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
Years ago while in college I attended a class taught by the wife of the late Dr. Jack Hyles. During the course of the semester, she gave us a homework assignment that would be due towards the end of the term and count for a large part of our final grade. My friend and I decided to pool our resources and work on the assignment together. We would sit for hours finding articles and tidbits that were required. If I found an article, I would make a photo copy of it and my friend would put it in her book and vice versa. We finished our homework and turned it in on time, both expecting an A for all our hard work. One day as I left work, I stopped by my mailbox and found a slip of paper from Mrs. Hyles' secretary. I was to present myself to her office ASAP. I actually thought I was going to be commended for my outstanding job because I felt I had been very thorough in my work and Mrs. Hyles must have noticed what a great student I was. Unfortunately for me and my friend, this was not the case. We were both summoned to appear before our teacher and secretary under the charges of cheating. My skin went cold as the secretary began questioning me about the homework assignment. Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought what my friend and I did would be considered cheating! After explaining my side of the story and literally begging with tears not to be failed from the class, Mrs. Hyles showed mercy on our plight, saw that we had no evil intent, so instead of failing us and giving us demerits for cheating, we both received 25 points off. A "C". I was mortified to think Mrs. Hyles would think me a cheater and indignant at the secretary for being so shrewd in picking my partner and I apart as if we were criminals. To this day, my cheeks go red when I think about what happened.
I relay this incident of my youthful ignorance in order to illustrate a point today. Jesus is our Teacher on how to live our Christian life and He has left us some homework to do before He returns. The homework is weighty and will count as the majority of our final grade, so we need to be sure and not procrastinate. We should be busy about finishing it. Jesus has told us to be the salt and light of this world. Where Sheri Loyd Edwards is to be the salt and light is not where you are to be doing your homework. We shouldn't work on this together and copy one another and be identical clones. We should read the directions and follow them, not just follow someone else.
What does it mean to be the "salt and light" of this earth? We are to be different. We are not to be linked arm and arm with this world. As Christians we jump on the phrase "love" and use it as a soap box to tout our good works towards others. And there is nothing wrong with loving, it is a commandment to be obeyed. But we are also called to be the salt. We have to take a stand in the face of all that is sin and be different. I don't mean being hypocritical and ugly while doing what is right, but we shouldn't be AFRAID to do and think right in this world! We ought to look different, talk different and BE different than someone who doesn't have the Holy Spirit of God residing in him!
Last week I read an article in the New York Times about a man who is quite famous in the fashion world. The article was all about how he spends his Sunday. After breakfast he showers and puts on a full suit in order that he can go to the Met. He said, "I will then change into a suit, because I’m going to the Met. It’s a sacred place for me, with all this incredible history and gorgeous work. I want to present myself properly. I just feel it’s an honor and a tribute to the work." And yet week after week people who claim to be Christians and love God find every excuse in the world to not go hear the preaching of His Word. We are afraid to mention God at the store or the beauty parlor because we don't want to offend others. We have become anemic Christians at best and let the world scare us into a corner thinking that if we show our Christian colors, we are identical to the radical Islamic jihadists out there! Why should a man who doesn't even know God have more guts to stand for what he believes in, than we do as the children of the One and True God?
We have homework to do people! We should be busy standing against sin, loving on sinners and being a light to expel the darkness that shrouds the majority of those souls for whom Christ died. No, it will not make you popular to always talk about God, but talk about Him anyway. People will accuse you of being a self righteous saint, but let them accuse you while you brightly shine RIGHT in the face of evil! Next time someone says a foul word in your presence or uses the name of our Savior in an ungodly form, turn and smile and stand up for the Lord. Do your homework.
The Teacher will be grading in all fairness and justice one day. I know I have a life report card full of F's, but it should not detour me today from working on my homework to bring up my grades. We don't have to perform for approval, but it is a fact that we will stand in judgment one day for how we behaved. So let's not copy some form of righteousness and godliness......let's BE cloaked and behaving correctly in HIS Righteousness and godliness. Let's do our homework.
Until next time, Lord willing,
Sheri
The article I quoted "How Tim Gunn of 'Project Runway spends his Sunday" was written by in the New York Times.
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