Salt of the Earth

Ever since my family and I moved here from Texas, we’ve not found a church home. During our first year in Idaho, we visited several different churches, but none of the ones we visited felt quite right. I know my hunger and thirst for more of God’s Word wasn’t being satisfied at any of the churches we attended. It’s really a horrible thought, understanding what the church should be like. Instead of overflowing with the Water of Life they felt spiritually dry to me. I wasn’t getting what I was longing for.

So, for the past 5 years we’ve been in Idaho, my family and I haven’t exactly been attending any one church. On occasion we’ve visited one or two since we first moved here, but my dad really got burned out trying to find a place and we quit trying. Not that I can blame him, as I felt the same way. After coming from a wonderful church in Texas where God’s presence was evident, it was hard when we couldn’t find the same thing here.

That’s one thing that really surprised me when my family and I moved here and searched for a place of worship. I came from a church home where the main focus was Christ Jesus above all else. My pastor’s sermons came straight from the Bible and his heart. They were never some other pastor’s sermons taken from the internet, or presented on a huge screen with fancy power point slideshows, etc. They were down to earth, honest, pure messages from God. One could feel His presence and power in the place, and there was never a reason one would leave that place feeling spiritually empty, except by that person’s own choice. But all of the churches we visited (and mind you, we didn't visit EVERY church here) seemed to be lacking greatly in that area, which bothered me very much.

Another thing that really bothered me was the fact that the congregation of these churches were trying very hard to entice my family and I to come back by telling us they were very involved in activities for the youth. Now, there’s nothing wrong with having youth activities, but they shouldn't be used as a way to entice someone to come to your place of worship. The person should want to come back voluntarily because of the message being shared there, NOT because there are activities or trips for the kids’ joy and entertainment. That right there is a sign that the church’s priorities are mixed up and they have made Christ take the back seat in their want for more people to attend the services.

Christ is the head of the church, and the church is the body of Christ (Colossians 1:18). As such, the church’s focus should be on being the messengers of Christ. What should NOT be the church’s goal is how many people they can persuade to attend the services. If our focus is on Christ Jesus, HE will bring the people to the place of worship WITHOUT us enticing them. When the church’s goal is to entice more and more people to come through the promise of activities, then that’s why the people will come: for the activities and the social aspect. They won’t be attending because they hunger and thirst for God’s Word, and the church will have become nothing more than a social party with a Bible-reading ritual.

In the book of Matthew, Jesus tells us, “Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men,” (Matthew 5:13). When we turn our focus from God to how many people we can get to come to our place of worship, we are like the salt that has lost its flavor. If we don’t use tasteless salt to season things, how can we expect to be used for God’s glory if our focus is no longer set upon Him?

In the next two verses, Jesus puts before us yet another comparison: “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house,” (Matthew 5:14-15). He finishes by commanding us in verse 16, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” When we keep our focus on Christ and let His light in us shine for all to see, His work will be done through us and glory will be given to whom it is rightly due: Jesus Christ our Lord.

THAT is why people should want to attend our place of worship. Not because there are exciting youth activities and the like, but because they can see God reflected in His church. People need to come because of the Word being shared and the love of Christ which abounds therein. My prayer is that we ALL may be made even more aware of this and start acting as the hands and feet of Christ, so that He might be glorified and others may come to Him.


Written by: Stephanie DeFoyd