30 For 30 Challenge: Day 20
Matthew 5:13-16
13 “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.
14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
What are some ways to influence those around you?
Jesus actually had a lot to say about influence. And much of it came from a well know sermon called the Sermon on The Mount. This sermon was Jesus' most in-depth sermon. He was teaching on ethical standards of God's kingdom. In Matthew 5 this was the beginning of that sermon. Here Jesus was using a metaphor. He was talking about us being salt and light in the world around us. What does this mean?
If I were to ask you to describe salt. You will probably say it's salty or little white crystal's. Salt brings out flavor in food. If you think about it, salt enriches the flavor that food already has. A little bit of salt makes a big impact. In Jesus's day, they would use salt to cure fish and other meat. In this way, salt-preserved the meat to keep it from rotting or drying out. In the Roman culture, salt was considered the purest substance known to man. So the idea that salt was pure and unstained was in play.
What about light? Light drives away the darkness. It doesn't take much light to light up an entire room. Light reveals that which is hidden; if you've lost something in the dark, light can find it. Light shows the way. If you were lost in the Judean countryside, a lamp could mean the difference between life and death.
Jesus said that when it comes to our influence, we act just like salt and light in our worlds. You have an influence on those around you whether you think it or not. You are salt. The flavor we are to add to the lives of others is pointing them to Jesus. Our actions show others what we believe but it can also turn others away if we are truly living a life that does not glorify God. Your actions, words, and even thoughts can highlight God's holiness in your life.
Jesus then says we are called to be the Light. We are called to point others to the true light which is Jesus. We do this by living out what we claim to believe. Just like we said about being salt, your actions can either show the light of Christ in someone's life or it can turn them away. When we are truly being a light people will see Christ in us. Then that opens the door to lead others toward God through Jesus. However, In order to be the light, you must first know the light yourself.
How do we influence others? By being the Salt and Light of the world. You might not be able to say that you're influencing people in all of these ways. But that doesn't mean that you can't
Jesus actually had a lot to say about influence. And much of it came from a well know sermon called the Sermon on The Mount. This sermon was Jesus' most in-depth sermon. He was teaching on ethical standards of God's kingdom. In Matthew 5 this was the beginning of that sermon. Here Jesus was using a metaphor. He was talking about us being salt and light in the world around us. What does this mean?
If I were to ask you to describe salt. You will probably say it's salty or little white crystal's. Salt brings out flavor in food. If you think about it, salt enriches the flavor that food already has. A little bit of salt makes a big impact. In Jesus's day, they would use salt to cure fish and other meat. In this way, salt-preserved the meat to keep it from rotting or drying out. In the Roman culture, salt was considered the purest substance known to man. So the idea that salt was pure and unstained was in play.
What about light? Light drives away the darkness. It doesn't take much light to light up an entire room. Light reveals that which is hidden; if you've lost something in the dark, light can find it. Light shows the way. If you were lost in the Judean countryside, a lamp could mean the difference between life and death.
Jesus said that when it comes to our influence, we act just like salt and light in our worlds. You have an influence on those around you whether you think it or not. You are salt. The flavor we are to add to the lives of others is pointing them to Jesus. Our actions show others what we believe but it can also turn others away if we are truly living a life that does not glorify God. Your actions, words, and even thoughts can highlight God's holiness in your life.
Jesus then says we are called to be the Light. We are called to point others to the true light which is Jesus. We do this by living out what we claim to believe. Just like we said about being salt, your actions can either show the light of Christ in someone's life or it can turn them away. When we are truly being a light people will see Christ in us. Then that opens the door to lead others toward God through Jesus. However, In order to be the light, you must first know the light yourself.
How do we influence others? By being the Salt and Light of the world. You might not be able to say that you're influencing people in all of these ways. But that doesn't mean that you can't
Pray:
Ask God to give you the strength to be a powerful influencer in His name. Pray for someone that you know needs to be pointed to Jesus.
Ask God to give you the strength to be a powerful influencer in His name. Pray for someone that you know needs to be pointed to Jesus.
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