SALT – THE CHANGE AGENT

(8-minute read)

Once people have children, they immediately become parents even though they will need to learn what it takes to be  informed and responsible ones. When we marry, we become someone's spouse. Although it doesn't mean that we will instantly know how to be a good and faithful spouse, it's our responsibility to learn to be one. As children of God, we have the same responsibility to learn about God, the Father, and what it means to be a child of God.

Jesus called all His followers the salt of the earth (Matthew 5:13). We can infer that He didn't mean that we are to be the salt of the church, of our small groups, our our families. ‘Of the earth’ means everywhere and everyone, transcending geographical boundaries, socio-economic, religious, cultural, and linguistic differences, as well as differences in how we look.

God wants His children to be salt, or His change agents. The apostle Paul (formerly a church persecutor) modelled for us a remarkable life as salt of the world and an effective change agent for Jesus.

QUALITIES AND EFFECTIVENESS OF SALT

Salt is used to preserve fresh produce when refrigeration is not  available. In parallel, Jesus saw His followers as effective agents in a world full of evil corruption, to push back Satan’s schemes to erode the quality of our relationships and lives. 

Salt also has natural healing qualities to disinfect wounds, reduce inflammation and kill bacteria. Likewise, we can bring healing to wounded hearts and souls, and ameliorate the stinging pain of loneliness for people who must face uncertain and challenging realities daily.

Salt is also used to enhance flavours. We commonly sprinkle table salt (sparingly!) over dishes to elevate their taste. Yet, salt is a dissolvent that disappears as soon as it is used. We can taste its effect and presence, but we cannot see the salt that has been used.  In the same way, what we say and do can positively reflect who Jesus is so that others can taste and see that He is good.

But when salt is exposed and unused for a long time, it loses its saline properties and becomes a useless substance that only takes up space wherever it stagnates! But how do we, as salt of the earth, lose our effectiveness? When we want to just blend in with the crowds (even in the church), when we are more concerned with being agreeable with people than being faithful to God, when we exist under the radar - going about in relative obscurity, silent and uninvolved, we will lose our saltiness. The Bible talks about sins that are not easily detectable: outwardly, we look like we have a good heart, and we care about the people in our lives, but there is little evidence that our lives are anything but about ourselves. The apostle Paul described such people as “having a form of godliness but denying its power” (2 Timothy 3:5). Such behaviour puts us at risk of losing our saltiness.

Each of us has a personal responsibility to set the standard for how we can be the salt of the earth.

HOW DO WE BECOME EFFECTIVE AS SALT?

Salt is meant to be sprinkled and not preserved in salt containers. We all know that unused table salt can absorb moisture and begin to act like a desiccant, causing it to clump and be difficult to shake out of the salt shaker. Jesus made it clear that His followers are to go out and make disciples of all nations. It’s a call to refuse to stay in passive participatory roles in our communities and not be resistant to take the necessary actions for spontaneous and meaningful connections with the people God sends into our lives and others He sends us to.

It is indeed sad if believers are satisfied to only hang out with Christians and talk about the Christian way of life without anyone actually doing anything that creates any real and enduring impact outside the community. It is a tragedy for followers of Jesus to over-value compliance and acquiescent behavior at the expense of Christlikeness and embracing His call to be His change agent. We must not perpetuate the false belief that our non-interference in other people’s lives is a godly virtue because we should somehow follow ‘God’s timing’, or that time itself has the power to change things without our involvement. These are erroneous reasonings that are never taught in the Bible. 

In reality, we have the power of the Holy Spirit to speak life and hope even when people are acting difficult. Proverbs 12:18 (NLT) reminds us, “Some people make cutting remarks, but the words of the wise bring healing.” Nowhere in the Bible will you find any verse that tells you that there is a ‘perfect time’ to show up for people. But you will find, throughout the Bible, people who made an impact and who were truly the salt of the earth - including Jesus - always making their love and concerns seen, heard and felt. (Today, we seem happy to be ‘involved’ when we merely respond to a text message with no follow-up demonstration of care!)

So where are we most effective as the salt of the earth? Outside the church and faith community. 

Some religious leaders and scholars who were constantly scrutinizing Jesus’ behaviour criticized Him for eating with people who were outside the religious circle (Mark 2:15-16, The Message). In today’s context, it would be equivalent to Jesus being in the company of non-believers. The Lord had only recently befriended Levi, a tax collector, and soon after, had dinner at Levi’s home. Naturally, Levi invited many of his contemporaries from the same industry to join him and his new friend, Jesus! How would you have responded if you were invited to Levi’s affluent neighbourhood and to join the company of his rich friends? Surely, you would have done as Jesus did and not think that you should preserve your Christianness and not let it be ‘polluted’ by the world!

We read in Mark 2:17 that Jesus gave a sharp rebuttal to His critics, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but those who are ill. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.’ Jesus chose to be openly seen in the company of people who were different from Him and His disciples. 

Effective witnessing does not happen in Christian circles, but in societies where there is moral decay and deprivation, evil and wickedness, pain and disappointment, abuse of power and injustice, and in a world full of hazards and hopelessness. We are created to add the flavour of Christ into a very diverse world, and to awaken the dead and dull to their condition to recognise how much they need Jesus. If salt has the power to melt ice, we should not have to worry about engaging people with cold and hardened hearts towards the Gospel! 

Don’t forget also that salt makes people thirsty! May we bring such a level of thirst in the people around us that they will want to experience what we have as disciples of Jesus Christ.

WHEN CAN WE BE EFFECTIVE AS SALT?

All believers are in the marketplace of salt opportunities. We are salt at all times – wherever we are - because life presents an open field of opportunities for change and healing. Our ministry is human ministry – whatever and wherever we may sense God calling us to.  It is important to remember that God sent His Son to provide salvation to all humanity. Therefore, we must not despise anything that God sets us up for, or resent their unannounced appearance in the ordinary moments of our lives. 

Here are 3 effective responses to any salt opportunities that come our way:

We will bring a distinguishing mark in all situations. We will have integrity in what we say and do, and  be God’s standard in a world of post-modern relativism where everything is a matter of perspective! Beyond being competent, we should try to be excellent. “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.” (Psalm 19:14). 

As salt, we will release its effective qualities to evoke change. This means to speak healing and restoration over brokenness, order over chaos and disunity, and reconciliation over resentment and hostility.

We will pray over the community – the people and the place – where we find ourselves in, whether it is transient or permanent. 

As the salt of the earth, we are active agents of change who must not let ourselves retreat into our environments to live an ineffective existence. Let’s give God free rein to introduce us to different conversations, different communities, different circumstances, and different challenges so that we can be His salt. That is what salt is made for.

This is a summary and reflection based on a virtual BIR Session held on 16 November 2024.