Psalm 96:3 NIV[3] Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples.
Matthew 28:19-20 NIV[19] Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, [20] and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
With global access through the Internet, I see our ‘nations’ today changing. Today we are not separated so much by geography as by our political party, beliefs, the lifestyle we live, or by the color of our skin. We used to be divided by nations and cultures but today those lines are blurring. Quickly replacing the age-old divisions of geography are new dividing walls that have popped up over the past ten to twenty years. Our nations are now splintered into factions of society based on beliefs and judgements. If this is true then we must cross these new barriers of race, political affiliation and lifestyle to spread God’s word and be salt.
A common trick of the enemy is doing the ‘ole switcharoo’ on our thinking. He relishes leading us to identify Christian behavior as that which is not. In my neck of the woods in Texas, he uses our natural desire to protect our families to justify separating ourselves from this world. Many Christians have seen the shift in thinking of this world and out of fear, have chosen to isolate their family from the outside world as much a humanly possible. I will be the first to admit, this world today is scary for raising children, and I am glad mine are grown. But never forget that God loves your children more than you can ever love them. Be a wise parent, teach them well, pray unceasingly for them, then trust God. They just might be the influence that is missing in our world.
Matthew 5:13 NIV[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.
Salt has an amazing power over food. Any cook on the food channel will tell you that it enhances the flavor in food. It also preserves it by fending off bacteria. But to be effective, it must leave the salt shaker and spread out evenly. In the hands of a chef, it is the most important seasoning. It is only effective when it is spread out and stirred in. The power of salt is released when it is dispersed. It has no power in the salt shaker. If it stays in the sterile environment of the salt shaker, it has lost its power or it could be said that it has lost the action of ‘saltiness’. By the way, the opposite of saltiness is bland. Jesus was instructing his followers in this passage. Obviously, he was not telling us to rope ourselves off from the world. I think he was telling us to get out there and mix it up in our world just as he did. This prevents us from being bland, unpalatable Christians.
Hebrews 10:24-25 NIV[24] And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, [25] not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
These words are written to Christians. Why would God tell us to meet together if Christians never separated and spread out? This passage contains an assumption that we spread out and mix with the world daily. In my job, I have the privilege to see Christian teachers nurturing children from dysfunctional and broken families. I see kind children from Christian homes learning side-by-side with those without hope, showing them what life is like on the other side. On network television this week, I heard a Christian artist proclaiming the power of our risen Savior. I see these Christians boldly spreading his word in the face of the lies of the enemy. This gives me hope.
If you call yourself a Christian, please prayerfully consider your role in this world in light of what Christ called us to be.