A New Day

By: Pastor Johnie Akers 

Matthew 5:13, “Ye are the salt of the earth; but if the salt have lost his savor, wherewith shall it be salted?  It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.”  A young woman was nervous about meeting her boyfriend’s parents for the first time; she wanted to look her absolute best.  The morning of the encounter, she arose early, ate a hearty breakfast, took care about how she carefully applied her make-up, and made sure every hair was in place.  She neatly pressed her dress with her steam iron, and just before going out the door, noticed her black high heels looked a little dingy.  Not having time to properly polish them, she ran back into the kitchen, grabbed the paper towel she had used to blot her breakfast bacon, and gave the shoes a fast wipe, leaving them quite shiny.  When she arrived at their home she was greeted by the parents and their spoiled, cranky poodle, Cleo. The dog got a whiff of the bacon grease on her shoes and followed her around all day, licking her shoes. At the end of the evening, as she was getting ready to leave, her boyfriend’s parents said, “Cleo really likes you, dear, and she is an excellent judge of character. We are delighted to welcome you into our little family.”  As humorous as the story is, it illustrates a greater principle.  The young lady had provoked an insatiable appetite in Cleo by her inadvertent application of bacon grease to her shoes.  It is incredible what prompts the attraction of another.  One young man may be drawn by his girlfriend’s eyes.  A lady may be charmed by a man’s gracious manners.  Still others may be attracted by wit, or intellect.  In our Scripture lesson today Jesus reminds us that our witness for Christ should be as salt.  Not only does salt flavor, preserve, and promote healing, but it also produces an insatiable thirst.  Do we make others thirst for Christ by our influence upontheir lives?  Do we have a “salty” testimony?  By demonstrating a living and loving Christ and His kingdom to those with whom we come in contact we can create in them a craving for Him that can only be satisfied by a personal relationship with Him for each new day.