MamaArcher's Blog

Salsa Versus Salt

Several years ago, I attended a ladies function. The theme was “Be the Salsa of the Earth.” This was taken from the salt reference in Matthew chapter 5. Everything was decorated with a fiesta theme and some delicious Mexican food was served. All was very festive and everyone had a lot of fun. I had some reservations back then about the twist in the theme and over the years a nagging concern has lingered.

In this day and age we tend to try and make everything pleasing, fun, and relevant. This often waters down the Word of God. You may be thinking that I am over reacting but I have learned in recent years that words really do mean a lot. I am not the most articulate person in the world but I attempt to use words accurately. I fully admit that I do often fail.

Is there really a problem in using the fun and the idea of salsa instead of salt? I would venture to say yes! God uses the words he does for a reason. Salsa is a fun theme. It is festive, fun, colorful and adds spice to life. As Christians are we to be festive, fun, colorful and add spice to life? Yes, but salt gives a much fuller and important meaning and message than salsa.

Salt may not be much to look at, it may not be festive, fun, or colorful. It does however still add spice to life. In fact salt is essential to life. Salt may seem plain but I know that those who have helped me through tough times and caused me to learn and to grow up in the Lord have not been the ones always looking for fun. They have often been plain, studious, and committed to our Sovereign Lord. They have never felt that the Word needed any more flare than God gave it. Those who often seek fun and entertainment tend to grow lean when a brother or sister in Christ is in need. It is not fun to weep with those who weep. It is good to have others to rejoice with but a “salty” person will remain and weep with those who weep.

Often (not always) striving for fun, festive, colorful, and entertaining comes at a cost. The Word is watered down. God has always used the minority, not the crowd. Do we seek to fit in with the masses who lean toward the culture? Unfortunately, this is a common trend in many churches today. Or are we living lives that are distinctly different from the world? Do others see the difference God makes in our lives? Does the cultural Christian see the difference? The life committed to being salt and light is prised and valued by God.

Salt is a preservative. Salsa will mold and rot but salt preserves things. Christ has called us to be world changers. He has invested in us purpose and value. We are to be an element in this world that slows and prevents the rotting and decaying that results from sin.

Salt is valuable. In the Roman Empire it was how the soldiers were paid. When they didn’t get enough of their salt ration, they rioted. It was their income, their salary – “salt money”. This is where the saying, “He isn’t worth his salt,” originated.

Jesus invested value in those disciples with this statement calling them the salt of the earth. Humanity has the seed of rotting and decay. Modern science has tried to fix it through economics and genetic engineering. God’s remedy is you and me, Christians sharing His Gospel and truth.

Here are a few more references and uses for salt.

Lev 2:13 – Sign of the binding of a contract.
2 Kings 2:20 – Healing agent with a cleansing effect.
Mark 9:50(15) – Promotes peace.
Colossians 4:6 – Evidence of grace.
Job 6:6 – Stimulates the appetite.
Luke 14:34 – Stimulates our testimony.

Matthew 5:13 “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.”