Dash of Salt
A few weeks ago, I went to a Bible study at a local church in Wilmington. An evangelist came to talk to us about how, we, as Christians, don't have to be forceful with sharing the Word of Christ. Now, this is a subject I've always struggled with, because as I live my life through Jesus, I don't always share it with everyone I meet. The reason I struggle is because I don't want to be forceful with the message. The whole point of accepting Christ into your life is to create a relationship with Him and to fall in love with Him. It is not supposed to be forced, it is supposed to feel natural. Like with any relationship, you should never tell people who to love or how to love them. Creating a relationship with Christ is a personal experience and a personal choice that should grow into a passionate love for Him.
Now, I realize that my part in His ministry is to spread the good news and tell people who know or don't know how awesome He is. But I have always lived my life hoping that people will just SEE that something is different with me, without me having to tell them I am a Christian. I just want them to feel it without me putting myself out there.
But when the Evangelist came to talk to us, he made me look at evangelising in a whole new light. He explained that first we should start by earning people's trust. You shouldn't just go around preaching like you are better than everyone. You should start by creating a relationship with people and earn the right to speak to them. When you learn about who they are, then you will be able to tweak what you want to say to them, so they can understand the message more clearly. He also emphasized that we should treat people like people and not projects. I loved that line. I can't tell you how many times I have heard in church a message about sharing Christ with others where it sounded like we had all these little "projects" to work on in our town. PEOPLE AREN'T PROJECTS! That's why its so important to really care about the person and learn who they are and tailor your message so it fits them. Not so it fixes them!
Lastly, the evangelist mentioned that what we say about Christ should make people want to know more. He used a metaphor about we should be salty. I know it sounds strange, but in order for people to be thirsty, they need salt. You want people to crave what God has to offer, you want them to have a thirst for knowing more. But we can't just spill the same bland message over and over about Christ. Our message about Christ should be salty and flavorful. If you've ever eaten food with absolutely no salt, you can understand what a little salt does to add flavor and depth to a dish. Our message should be the same way. Not some bland mess of words, but a passionate love for Christ that just spills out of our mouths like water.
We should want to be the salt of the earth. We should make people thirsty. We should make ourselves thirsty. There is nothing better than a God who can quench any thirst, calm any storm, and bring rain to a drought. There's a verse about being salty.
Here it is:
"You are like salt for the whole human race. But if salt loses its saltiness, there is no way to make it salty again. It has become worthless, so it is thrown out and people trample on it."
Matthew 5:13
Do not lose your saltiness, do not lose your passion. Be a dash of salt to this thirsty world.
Now, I realize that my part in His ministry is to spread the good news and tell people who know or don't know how awesome He is. But I have always lived my life hoping that people will just SEE that something is different with me, without me having to tell them I am a Christian. I just want them to feel it without me putting myself out there.
But when the Evangelist came to talk to us, he made me look at evangelising in a whole new light. He explained that first we should start by earning people's trust. You shouldn't just go around preaching like you are better than everyone. You should start by creating a relationship with people and earn the right to speak to them. When you learn about who they are, then you will be able to tweak what you want to say to them, so they can understand the message more clearly. He also emphasized that we should treat people like people and not projects. I loved that line. I can't tell you how many times I have heard in church a message about sharing Christ with others where it sounded like we had all these little "projects" to work on in our town. PEOPLE AREN'T PROJECTS! That's why its so important to really care about the person and learn who they are and tailor your message so it fits them. Not so it fixes them!
Lastly, the evangelist mentioned that what we say about Christ should make people want to know more. He used a metaphor about we should be salty. I know it sounds strange, but in order for people to be thirsty, they need salt. You want people to crave what God has to offer, you want them to have a thirst for knowing more. But we can't just spill the same bland message over and over about Christ. Our message about Christ should be salty and flavorful. If you've ever eaten food with absolutely no salt, you can understand what a little salt does to add flavor and depth to a dish. Our message should be the same way. Not some bland mess of words, but a passionate love for Christ that just spills out of our mouths like water.
We should want to be the salt of the earth. We should make people thirsty. We should make ourselves thirsty. There is nothing better than a God who can quench any thirst, calm any storm, and bring rain to a drought. There's a verse about being salty.
Here it is:
"You are like salt for the whole human race. But if salt loses its saltiness, there is no way to make it salty again. It has become worthless, so it is thrown out and people trample on it."
Matthew 5:13
Do not lose your saltiness, do not lose your passion. Be a dash of salt to this thirsty world.
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