Good Seasoning!

“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).

Jesus speaking--to all who claim to be His followers--we are the salt--the seasoning that makes life more palatable--not only for us, but for all. What happens to salt that no longer has the capacity to make food taste better or to preserve it? It is thrown out, no longer useful for anything.

Those of us who know The Word and attempt to live The Word are responsible for making a difference in the lives of all we meet--as a living epistle of how God wants us to live. When we miss the mark, we need to go back to The Word and replenish our capacity to continue to salt--sprinkle truth--every where we go.

Now, if we are the salt--the seasoning that makes living worthwhile--why is it that many only want "sweetened" messages? In essence, they want to skip the meal--the seasoned meat and vegetables and get the dessert--with all the sugar that will make them sick when they over indulge on just the "sweet" stuff. In fact, in some churches, people never get a full meal--they get an appetizer and then dessert--it's as if the chef only knows how to prepare "tidbits" and "sweet stuff" which is bound to leave a body--malnourished.

And then we have those who preach and teach such bland messages that people fall asleep before ten words have been said. The saddest part of all is even the singing is bland--no life--and when people start staying away, the leadership wonders why.

God wants us balanced--seasoned just right! That's why He uses all types of personalities to promote His Word--the person who knows how to prepare the right proportion for an appetizer, leading to igniting taste buds for more and then serving up a flavorful, full of zest meal--has no need for a dessert, but if one is served, it is miniscule in comparison to the appetizer. These are the churches that grow because the congregation recognizes where they can get a good meal, with good seasoning, and not just a sugary dessert.

Not every church growing in number is actually growing in knowledge. There are some churches who only serve dessert and they grow, but not in knowledge, since they get nothing of nutritional value and get weaker with every meal. Those who are growing in knowledge, get stronger with every meal because of the balanced nutrition a wise leader promotes and serves.

We are the "good seasoning" not the sugar link that causes people physical problems, but we create environments in which people can know the difference between a message that does more than just tickle the tummy, it fills the spirit and helps people to soar to new heights in the knowledge of God.