Be Salty for Valentine’s Day
Love is in the air. Valentine’s Day is around the corner and everywhere you turn something or someone is telling you how to express your love. A few weeks ago I heard a message about the Kingdom of God and how the teachings of Jesus are the map to know about the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God is the #1 subject that Jesus taught His disciples about-He was passionate about modeling Kingdom values here on earth. So during this season of Valentine’s, chocolates, flowers and Love, I am going to focus on reflecting Kingdom values. I am going to ask myself if my attitudes and actions represent someone who models Kingdom values. I am going to pay attention to the needs of others and actually do something that shows love.
- Take time to make that phone call to a friend.
- Drop by and visit with someone who is housebound, sick or recovering from an illness or from surgery.
- Write a note of encouragement.
- Bake some cookies and take them to a neighbor.
- Send Valentine’s cards to your children or grandchildren.
- Make a meal for a friend just for fun.
When we take the time to stop our busy lives and think about what truly matters, we will bless others and have a deeper sense of emotional satisfaction and joy.
In the gospel of Matthew, Jesus teaches that we are the salt of the earth and the light of the world. Salt is an amazing chemical. Salt is used in cooking to enhance flavor, as a preservative and as a flavor suppressant. Salt enhances the flavor of what it is seasoning-you add salt to a stew or soup to enhance the flavor of the meat and vegetables that are slowly cooking together. The result is not a salty taste but a better version of the food you are preparing. As a preservative, salt can help food last longer as it delays the decaying process by actually killing off some food borne harmful bacteria. Curing food with a salt solution called brine (a process related to pickling) is used to preserve food. As far back as history records, salt was used to preserve meat like salt-cured pork (bacon) and salted and dried fish. As a flavor suppressant, salt is used to decrease bitterness.
So why am I writing about salt in a Valentine’s Day post? Why not just make a list of the characteristics of LOVE and leave it at that? For me this Valentine’s season…I am going to concentrate on showing love to others by being salt.
- Salt enhances flavor-be an encourager, bring out the best in people by paying attention to their needs, make others feel better by adding something extra and enhancing their lives.
- Salt is a preservative-help stop the decay, do not run from what is falling apart in other people’s lives, be willing to come along side and help heal their fractured lives by bringing wholeness and healing by loving them and staying with them as a preserving friend.
- Salt suppresses bitterness-I can actually be an antidote to bitterness, drench people in love, offer grace, be for others what Christ has been for me.
I want to model Kingdom values. If I take on the challenge of being the salt of the earth I can be sprinkled into any life situation, whether full of joy or sorrow, anguish, pain, suffering or bitterness and make an impact. This for me is a tangible way to show Love. Love is action.
How will you demonstrate LOVE in action this Valentine’s Day?
