Title: Salt of the Earth!

“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.” – Matthew 5:13  

Devotion: Salt was one of the most valuable commodities in the ancient world. It was not only used to season food but also to preserve it from decay. Without salt, meat, fish, and vegetables would quickly spoil. Jesus chose this everyday image to describe the calling of His disciples. By calling them “the salt of the earth,” He was saying that their presence in the world was vital to its preservation. Just as salt keeps food from corruption, believers are called to keep the world from moral and spiritual decay through the Word of God and the testimony of their lives.  

  Throughout Scripture, salt carries rich symbolism. It represents preservation, flavor, and covenant. Salt prevents decay, reminding us that the Word of God preserves lives from spiritual death. The psalmist declares, “The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul” (Psalm 19:7). Salt also adds flavor, pointing to the joy and meaning believers bring to the world. Paul writes, “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone” (Colossians 4:6). In the Old Testament, salt was used in offerings as a sign of permanence and covenant (Leviticus 2:13), showing that disciples are bound to God’s eternal truth.  

  Jesus’ teaching reveals that His followers are essential to the world’s spiritual health. Without their witness, society decays in sin. Salt may be small, but its influence is profound. A pinch of salt changes an entire dish, just as one faithful disciple can transform a community. Yet salt must remain pure. If contaminated, it loses its power. A believer who backslides loses their testimony and becomes ineffective. Jesus warns, “If salt loses its saltiness… it is no longer good for anything.”  

  For non-believers, salt represents the Word of God reaching them through disciples. When they receive the Word, their lives are preserved from eternal death and transformed into new disciples—becoming salt themselves. But if they reject the Word, they remain in spiritual decay. Jesus illustrated this truth in the parable of the sower (Matthew 13). The seed—the Word of God—falls on different soils. Some reject it, some receive it temporarily, but those who embrace it bear fruit. Salt, like seed, must be received to preserve life.  

  There is also a warning against losing saltiness. A believer who drifts away from Christ is like salt that has lost its flavor—useless and discarded. Lot’s wife is a sobering example (Genesis 19:26). Though she was delivered from destruction, she looked back and became a pillar of salt, symbolizing wasted potential. Jesus calls His disciples to remain steadfast: “Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown” (Revelation 2:10).  

  Salt is small but mighty. It preserves, flavors, and symbolizes covenant. As disciples, we are called to live lives that preserve the world from corruption, flavor it with grace, and remain faithful to God’s covenant. The challenge is clear: Are we living as salt today? Are our lives preserving others from decay through the Word of God? Or have we lost our saltiness by drifting from Christ?  

Prayer:  

Lord, make me salt in this world. Preserve me by Your Word, keep me faithful, and use me to preserve others from spiritual decay. May my life add flavor to the world and point others to You. Amen.  

As for me and my family we will remain "salt of the earth" what about you? Kindly share this with your contacts. ©Dr Joel Olanrewaju, gbemide09@gmail.com.