Are you a dusty salt shaker?

Recently I was praying for strength for students as they take a stand to do what's right in their school. That is truly the biggest battleground for most teenagers today. Think about it - they spend nearly 40 hours a week there! And the public school environment is generally pretty hostile to Christianity because everyone is worried about fitting in - and I think you'll agree that following Christ is NOT conducive to fitting in with the typical middle or high school crowd.

Matthew 5:13 says "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 by men." So I think this verse refers to the person who just loses their saltiness...they don't share the Gospel at all...their standards are no different than anyone else's...they simply hide their spirituality. But what about the person who keeps their salt bottled up in a salt shaker, sitting on the shelf? They're salty...they love God, they try to uphold Biblical standards for life (no drinking, sex, drugs, etc.)...but they get so worried about upholding their holy standards that they avoid anything (and anyone) secular. A salt shaker only works when you SHAKE IT and scatter the salt!

The "dusty salt shaker" Christian has good intentions and starts out with the right idea. They see in God's Word that He tells us to be "holy as I am holy". That's a tall order! But they forget that in John 17:14-15, Jesus is praying for His disciples and He says, "I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one." Jesus never sinned - He was perfect...but He spent time with sinners whenever He possibly could! His salt shaker was constantly shaking - salt was flying everywhere! He knew they were lost and He always found a creative way to show them love so that they would be receptive to the Gospel.

God saved us by His grace - that's it. His instructions for holy living were ultimately intended to give us direction for how to live a life that is healthy, fulfilling, and most of all - a testimony to the world of how He has changed us! He did not intend for those things to paralyze you! We are in this world, but are not of it. It seems that sometimes Christians forget that we're still IN it! I am so proud when I see students making choices to avoid partying or sexual temptation...but I'm heartbroken when I see them looking down their noses at people who haven't gotten there yet. In 2 Timothy 2, Paul is telling us to stay away from evil and don't get into senseless debate wih people. He also goes on to say in verse 25, "Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will."

Those people who mock Christians and scoff at others who don't cuss or drink or cheat... they have believed a lie that, without rescue, will lead to an eternity of suffering. They are captive to that lie - a prisoner that needs to be set free! As believers, we hold the keys to that freedom! God gave us this gift...and He never intended for you to sit in your dusty salt shaker and criticize the people who are trapped by deception. Shake the dust off - allow the Holy Spirit to pick you up and pour you out so that those prisoners can be freed. The shaking can be painful and you do run the risk of being contaminated by those you're trying to reach. His grace will cover you, His Word will equip you, and His love will guide you. Just SHAKE!