Salt and light

Some people just have a knack for talking about Jesus. It just seems to come so easily for them. And to be honest for the rest of us, it can be a little bit disheartening. Be encouraged, although not everyone is gifted in evangelism (talking about Jesus), you are still able to share Jesus even if you can’t find the right words.

Every one of us is surrounded by a particular culture. It might not be easy to notice at first, but the values, language, attitudes, and shared experiences within a people group or location determine a culture, and this shapes the way we view the world. When missionaries go into a foreign culture, they will spend a lot of time observing and understanding the culture and language first, Paul did the same thing in Athens (Acts 17:23). To share Jesus effectively, look for concepts and language within the culture that encapsulate the core characteristics of Jesus; love, mercy, hope, redemption, salvation, and sacrifice. For example, you can find many movies which have a ‘Jesus figure’—someone who gives up their life for the sake of others. These concepts are present in all cultures because they are about God, and God is the God of all cultures. Take time to observe your culture and see how you might use cultural language and concepts to talk about Jesus.

In his famous Sermon on the Mount

Jesus tells His followers (that’s you) that they are to be ‘salt of the earth’. You put salt on food to bring out the flavours and make it taste better. In Eugene Peterson’s, The Message (a paraphrase of the Bible), he talks about bringing out the ‘God-flavours’ in our lives so that the people seeing us will see that life following Jesus tastes good and might want a taste for themselves. Live your life on display. Not in a way that draws attention to you, but in a way that draws attention to the goodness of God. You might want to start sharing your faith on social media, record a video testimony of how God has been good to you. Be transparent with your friends of how God has answered your prayers or how He has spoken to you personally.

Jesus also tells his followers to be a light on a hill

The amazing thing about light is that darkness has no power over it. Light will always penetrate through and overwhelm the darkness if it is given a chance to shine. The very fact that we can see starlight from millions of light-years away is proof of this. The same is true for the light that you shine. Let the goodness and power of God shine through you like a light on the top of a hill. Let the fruit of the Spirit be seen in your life; love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control. People will see it and some will ask you, what’s different about you. Be ready at that moment to talk about Jesus.

Consider how you can put your life on display and let your life be salt and light. Perhaps sharing a video testimony on social media, or sharing more openly with your friends about what Jesus is doing in your life.