• About
    • Let’s Work Together
    • collaboration post. sponsored post
  • Family
    • homeschool
    • marriage
    • motherhood
  • Home & Life
    • recipes
    • travel
  • Start A Blog

Graciously Woven

Creatively Living and Sharing Grace

life lessons

Seasoned with Salt, the Significance of our Words

February 7, 2017 Leave a Comment

After reading a post from a mentor of mine about not being “salty” I felt convicted and challenged to really search myself out. This is what the Lord shared with me.

Matthew 5: 13-16 MSG
“Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You’ve lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage.”

Though I’m not a professional chef, I am a proud connoisseur of food. In other words I love to eat, so therefore I’ve learned to embrace cooking.

Early on in our first year of marriage, Mike came to realize that I wasn’t one to whip up meals in the kitchen and there were lots of trial and error dinners (and late night runs to pick up some fast food). My biggest problem I quickly learned was I rarely tasted my food before serving it. I know, I know that’s a huge mistake. For some reason I figured I could just eyeball the seasonings and it would turn out fine…I was wrong. Your palate and tastebuds are a tremendous part of cooking (just in case you didn’t know). There is nothing like tasting a lack luster meal or an overly salty and saturated one. Either one can ruin it for you.

A desire to be heard

So it’s no wonder why this infamous scripture spoke to me in the midst of all the words, Facebook posts, and endless debates going on lately. Because we all, yes ALL of us, want to be heard. Especially in the name of not being classified or misnomered in this age of labels and identifiers. We all in some way do not want anyone to speak on our behalf, and there isn’t anything wrong with that.

Words, thoughts, and ideas so easily get lost in translation in the midst of fingers violently typing and conveying a message that is meant for our mouths and our actions. The internet’s fiberoptic cables have jaded our eyes to reality. Our emotional and mental tastebuds haven’t felt the authenticity of what life and true conversations have to offer in quite some time…and that’s the significance of being referenced as salt. You know the taste of a well flavored meal.

Useful Salt

Salt is a common ingredient we all have used, more importantly it has so many uses. Nothing can replace salt, that’s the truth. Historically and presently being used to preserve meat, an antiseptic in medicine, and bring flavor; salt is a vital spice to life!

However, as Christ followers we can see a verse like this and immediately sprinkle our salt and ideas to the point of distaste. You don’t think that’s possible? Ever been around a fellow Christian or someone who wears that label, and after talking you feel discouraged and turned off? I know that I have and I know there have been moments where I’ve been that person. Pouring my precious salt in the “name of Christ” only to turn someone away. Realizing I wasn’t listening nor displaying any actual fruit of the spirit. I hadn’t portioned what could bring out God-flavoring in the situation, but rather my own selfish desire to be heard or seen as “Christian” enough overshadowed an opportunity.

Excessive Salt

Read the verse once again and take a moment to taste the bitterness of an excessive amount of salt. That’s what we are called NOT to be. In other scriptures we are urged to let our speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt (Colossians 4:6), with the key word being seasoned. That implies tact, control, and portion. I’m so challenged as I’m prone to allow my words to flippantly chastise, control a situation, and trample on the voices and emotions of others…causing a much saltier and damaging situation. 
But take hope! As we cook up delicious meals in our conversations and situations with friends, family, our kids, and especially online may we season each with salt. Being careful to know the power of Christ entrusted with grace in our lives that we should urgently share with others.
Taking time to prayerfully seek God’s hand rather than our own when we pick up scripture, wisdom, and words to bring out the God-flavoring in our world. Leaving a situation seasoned rather than salty is the best we can offer today.
So friend before we post may we imagine our words as rather a pinch of salt or a dose of disastrous distaste in the making. Valuing the opportunity we have to not fight to be heard, but fight to allow God to bring about His glory in us AND those involved. May we be the sprinkle chefs in our communities, knowing what we hold is so precious and so vital!
I love what I recently read on a post from Jen Hatmaker and I couldn’t have said it any better. May you be encouraged and challenged as well friend!

“Sisters, don’t spend your energy spitting into the wind to win over people who will not be won. Don’t say passive aggressive things to take jabs at critics who may or may not even be listening. Stop having arguments in your head, however much you may be wining them. Drop it. Drop it all. 


Speak to the highest level of your best people. Send it out like you want it returned: love, grace, courage, encouragement, kindness, humility. Do not give in to the lowest common denominator. Speak words of life, because that is the very thing that will save us.”



Previous:
Weekend Adventures: Chalk Art at Not Your Average Joes
Next:
How to Best Prioritize Learning in Your Home

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Social

Subscribe Here!

Facebook

Facebook

Affiliates

Blog Meets Brand

graciouslywoven

Carmen | Truth & Grace Living
Let’s talk about shame... When the Lord started Let’s talk about shame...

When the Lord started walking me through how my approach to correcting behavior started to look more like shaming... it was humbling and convicting. 

Many times my desire to correct overrides any opportunity to understand and walk through the challenge together. 

When I yell, dismiss, or even explode at what they shouldn’t be doing - I communicate shame rather than offering wise counsel. Especially with abstract concepts that deal with the heart like lying, pride, anger...

It hit me most when I yelled at my angry child for lashing out 👀 - as I watched myself I felt the Lord nudge me with how can you correct sin while sinning? 

... oh the embarrassment, but the chance to do better.

Quieting my own self and taking it in, because conviction makes room for growth not shame. 

I’ve asked the Lord more and more to calm my voice with the intent of allowing true change as I parent. Praying my heart is bent more to seeing how God restores and transforms our behaviors to reflect true goodness. Rather than a God who shames as they see me shame them. #christinmotherhood
Mila is the mood as I sit and am so grateful for e Mila is the mood as I sit and am so grateful for each of you engaging me in this process. Thank you for being present in the messy parts too as I navigate this season. 

I continue to be so thankful for this community - and I pray I can lend a listening ear and support as much as you are to me ♥️ #beautyincommunity
“Mom he has pom pom hair and there’s animals!! “Mom he has pom pom hair and there’s animals!!” 😍

We have another budding reader in the house!!! I love reading and finding books that encourage our kids to enjoy the same I’m all for it!! 

Being able to find books that are not only personalized but allow my kids to see themselves in the story is even better!!! 

@lionstory.books gifted us this beautiful book all about Izaiah making a change for animals - which is his THING! 

They have a variety of stories and options to make your book special. Thanks to their team you can use code: CARMEN50 for 50% off your own book! 

Check them out parents of growing readers! We love what they’re doing ♥️ #homeschoolmama #growingreadersforlife
Everyone then who hears these words of mine and do Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. Matthew 7:24

There’s power in praying our family grows in God’s word and even more as we see ways to apply it daily. I’ve come to realize there’s a spiritual home we’ve been called to build it looks like this family.

In our character, how we reflect Christ, and how we model that for our kids - even invite them to do the same.

I started working on this portrait of us and wanted to symbolize how we’re planted. When times have been their hardest - it’s been God’s word that’s sustained us. #foundationinchrist
Follow on Instagram
This error message is only visible to WordPress admins

Error: API requests are being delayed for this account. New posts will not be retrieved.

Log in as an administrator and view the Instagram Feed settings page for more details.

2021 Graciously Woven 2018. All Rights Reserved. Design by SkyandStars.co
Back Top

Copyright © 2021 · YOON Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in