Nothing
tastes better in the summer time than a fresh tomato sandwich with mayo on
fresh bread. I think I could eat a tomato sandwich everyday during the
summertime as one of my meals. However, if I had to cut back on the salt that I
sprinkle over my tomato, I may have to pass on the entire sandwich.
When my husband and I first married, he always
had to dump an entire saltshaker on anything I prepared because his food
demanded salt and lots of it, and salt was just not something I normally
thought about when cooking. As years have gone by (almost 28 of them) I realize
that adding salt to a meal during preparation enhances the flavor, and I
appreciate the outcome. My husband still takes the saltshaker and covers his
food so it resembles a recent snowfall, but I have come a long ways in
realizing how important seasonings can be to our foods.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus
used salt as an illustration of a Christian:
“Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his
savour, wherewith shall it be salted? It is thence forth good for nothing, but
to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.” Matthew 5:13.
Salt was a
very important commodity in Bible times. It was used to preserve their meats,
flavor their foods, and heal their wounds. It was even received as payment for
a days work for Roman Soldiers. It was necessary for survival.
As a
preservative, salt was used to prevent decay and spoilage of meat. As
Christians, we should try to preserve our faith and our heritage by protecting
God’s Word, hiding it in our hearts and living it in our everyday lives. Our
influence on others should prevent decay of morals and worldly desires.
As a flavor
enhancer, salt adds seasoning to bland foods that seem tasteless and boring.
Col. 4:6 tells us “Let your speech be always with grace seasoned with salt,
that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.” We should show a tasteless,
boring world how much more satisfying their lives could be in Christ.
Salt can
also be used to heal wounds. If you have ever placed salt in a wound, or waded
into the ocean with a sore on your leg and felt the salt water touch it, you
know how bad it can burn. But the burning brings forth healing. Sometimes we
must face pain and seek comfort from Christ in order to heal physically,
mentally, and spiritually.
Dear Lord,
Please help me to be a salty Christian and give others a thirst for you!
