Throw Some Salt on Me Brother
Those who know me know my interest over the last several years has been to look at the Christian experience and calling through the lens of 'one anothering'. That is, fulfilling all of the many ways we are told to support one another in the fellowship through our prayer, gifts, love, forgiveness, encouragement, service and so on. And so through that same lens I have been thinking of the last sermon, not just in the context of Christians impacting the world as salt but as it applies to our relationships with one another. And I think that the admonition for Christians to be salt to the world has that additional, equally meaningful application, that each of us as Christians need to be salt for one another too.
How does that happen, though? First we need to see ourselves as family. All of us as members and fellow believers worshiping at New Hope Bible Church need to consider ourselves and value one another as family (people related to one another by birth and by blood, which Christians are by the way). I mean close family....spirit-blood brothers and sisters. A we're-all-in-this-together type of family rather than the equivalent of third cousins we see and speak to once a week on Sunday morning. Chester and Timmis in their book, Everyday Church, write about that same kind of relationship as community. They make the point that the church is losing it's influence and historical place of prominence as it continues to function under the influence of the world, rather than the other way around. The authors point out that unless the local church begins to see itself as a community in and of itself, the Christian church overall will continue to dominated by the world community and lose its distinctiveness, its saltiness. Whether family or community, we are indeed in this together as born-again believers. When we each said "yes" to Jesus, we also said "yes" to one another as family.
Second, if we are to be salt to one another we must act in ways which bring out the best in each another. Just as was emphasized Sunday, salt enhances flavor when the right amount is applied at the right time. It does its magic as the food is developing, mixing or cooking. Adding the salt in the right amount at the right time brings out the best in the food. In the same way, we are most helpful to one another, that is salt to one another, as each of us is maturing in the Lord, developing our Christian flavor through the work and involvement of the Spirit. For me to be salt in your life I need to look for ways to bring out the best example of Christian spirit and character in you while you are growing and maturing day-by-day and it's your job to do the same for me as I am growing and maturing in the faith.What would that look like? As I struggle to forgive, you show me how you forgive when I mess up. As I need to learn Godly love, you show me how you love when I make it hard. As I am learning to give with joy, you tell me how you trust God to provide and why giving generously to others is so meaningful to you. And so on. You be the salt I need in the proportion I need and you will have a hand in producing in me the best possible Christian for His service.. You come along side and do your part in my life. And with God's nudging I want to do the same for you.
Back to the beginning: can we first say we love one another as brothers and sisters....as family? If so, can we then also become salt and light not only to the world but to one another?. Can we build one another up in our faith and our walk?
How does that happen, though? First we need to see ourselves as family. All of us as members and fellow believers worshiping at New Hope Bible Church need to consider ourselves and value one another as family (people related to one another by birth and by blood, which Christians are by the way). I mean close family....spirit-blood brothers and sisters. A we're-all-in-this-together type of family rather than the equivalent of third cousins we see and speak to once a week on Sunday morning. Chester and Timmis in their book, Everyday Church, write about that same kind of relationship as community. They make the point that the church is losing it's influence and historical place of prominence as it continues to function under the influence of the world, rather than the other way around. The authors point out that unless the local church begins to see itself as a community in and of itself, the Christian church overall will continue to dominated by the world community and lose its distinctiveness, its saltiness. Whether family or community, we are indeed in this together as born-again believers. When we each said "yes" to Jesus, we also said "yes" to one another as family.
Second, if we are to be salt to one another we must act in ways which bring out the best in each another. Just as was emphasized Sunday, salt enhances flavor when the right amount is applied at the right time. It does its magic as the food is developing, mixing or cooking. Adding the salt in the right amount at the right time brings out the best in the food. In the same way, we are most helpful to one another, that is salt to one another, as each of us is maturing in the Lord, developing our Christian flavor through the work and involvement of the Spirit. For me to be salt in your life I need to look for ways to bring out the best example of Christian spirit and character in you while you are growing and maturing day-by-day and it's your job to do the same for me as I am growing and maturing in the faith.What would that look like? As I struggle to forgive, you show me how you forgive when I mess up. As I need to learn Godly love, you show me how you love when I make it hard. As I am learning to give with joy, you tell me how you trust God to provide and why giving generously to others is so meaningful to you. And so on. You be the salt I need in the proportion I need and you will have a hand in producing in me the best possible Christian for His service.. You come along side and do your part in my life. And with God's nudging I want to do the same for you.
Back to the beginning: can we first say we love one another as brothers and sisters....as family? If so, can we then also become salt and light not only to the world but to one another?. Can we build one another up in our faith and our walk?
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