Leadership Thought: Lightbulbs and Saltshakers Are Good Reminders of What We Are Called to Be.

Dear Friends

How many of you would like to know the- will of God for your life? When people ask me that question, I have a simple answer-just be salt and light. In a bland and dark society make sure you stand out and are different. Salt must not lose its taste and light must never be hidden.

I have a friend who wears a pin with a picture of a lightbulb and a saltshaker on it to daily remind him that he needs to sprinkle salt and shed light wherever goes. 

Salt makes people thirsty, and our lives should make people thirsty and cause them to ask us about our faith in God.

Why do you possess such peace? Why do you show such love? Why are you so different from most of the people I know?

I remember reading about someone disputing the old adage that "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink." 

"Not true," the person said. "You can give him a salt tablet." And you and I ought to be salt tablets, making people thirsty to know more about our God.

Light breaks through the darkness of our world and exposes this world's sin.

Light also illuminates our good works and provides evidence that there is something uniquely different about us.

Our light and our saltiness may become impacted by our behavior. When we don't stand out from others, and when we willingly compromise our values or settle for those things that are comfortable or convenient, we will hide our light and lose our flavor.

In a devotional on the internet, Chuck Swindoll suggested three ways to become salt and light.

"Be different. We should not become like the world. We must guard against being sucked into the prevailing culture and performing to societies expectations."

"Be responsible. Every once in a while, we need to ask some hard questions: Are we making contact with others? Are we seeking isolation? it's up to us to spread the salt and light."

"Be influential. Let's not kid ourselves. The very fact we belong to Christ- that we don't adopt to the system, that we march to a different drumbeat-gives us an influence in this society of ours.  

We are influencing others in our every behavior, be it good or bad. Even when we aren't trying out comes the salt and on comes the light."

Swindoll concludes: "Remember to keep the light on and your saltshaker tipped."

Jesus commands us to be salt and light, so let's keep spreading our salt and shedding that light lest we blur our testimony and hinder our witness.

Yours in faith and friendship,

Tom