The Consequences of Losing Saltiness

“‘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 underfoot.” Matthew 5:13 NIV

In a story titled “I’ve been training with electrolytes for the past year — here’s how it’s made me a better runner” published yesterday, Jessica Downey said, “It wasn’t until I started training for a half marathon in a heatwave that I appreciated the value of maintaining healthy levels of hydration while running. It took a fair few sweaty and tiresome runs to realize just how much salt our bodies lose during exercise and how this impacts both exercise performance and — more importantly — our overall health. Enter electrolytes, important minerals in our body that play a crucial role in hydration and something we runners need to make sure we replenish.” 

And you know, when it comes to losing salt, the Bible tells us that we, as believers, are “the salt of the earth.” Which means our presence serves to season and preserve the world around us, making it a better place because of the positive influence we bring. You see, in the same way salt preserves food and keeps it from rotting, believers in Jesus help to keep humanity from falling into godlessness and the consequences that follow disobedience. Furthermore, salt changes the flavor of food, just as the influence of godly people can change a culture. Which is the very reason we need to continually replenish ourselves through prayer, Bible study, and meditation to keep ourselves from losing our saltiness—something that takes away our godly influence and leads to the moral decay of families, communities, and countries. 

So as we look around at the condition of our own nation today, it’s easy to see that we are a country who’s lost its saltiness as a whole and reaping the results from our defiance and rebellion. Which doesn’t mean we are to give up in our mission to be “the salt of the earth” but means we must double down in our efforts if we are to change the world for good. 

Heavenly Father, thank You for reminding us that we can’t give up on our mission to be the salt of the earth, no matter how in vain our attempts might appear. Help us to stay focused and to keep pressing on until the day we are called home to heaven Lord, working to do good until our final breath. It’s in your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen. 

Happy Running!