Are We Salt & Light, or Just Salty & Lit?

Matthew 5:13-16 (ESV)

13 “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet.14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

How do we let the light of God shine through in our everyday lives?

Jesus tells us we are the ‘salt of the earth’. But what does that mean?

Before answering that question, Imagine a big, juicy steak… that’s been sitting on a plate in the sun all day. Imagine how awful that would smell! Would you eat it? Of course not! Back then, salt was used for two purposes: to preserve meat, and to enhance flavor.

When Jesus is telling us to be salt of the earth, he’s calling us to ‘preserve’ the world. We’re called to bring people to know Jesus Christ, to preserve them from eternal death. We’re also called to ‘enhance the flavor’ of life in this world. Where there is fighting, we’re peacemakers. Where there’s pain, we bring joy. Where there’s hatred, we bring love. Be the salt of the earth!

Jesus also says we are the ‘light of the world’. Imagine a ship in those times traveling in the dark. Shipwrecks that happened at night could’ve been easily avoided if they simply had light to see the land. That’s why lighthouses were so important! With a light shining, not only did they know where to go for safety, they could see what things to avoid. Jesus says YOU are the light of the world. Without Jesus, we’re all just traveling this life in the dark, not knowing the dangers we’re getting into. We have hope for salvation through Jesus Christ, and we need to give that same hope to the whole world traveling in the dark.

So, which is it? Are you salt and light, or just salty and lit? You’ve been given hope through Jesus Christ, so let’s extend that same hope to this dark world!

Dear Lord, Thank you for bringing us hope! Lord, please help us to bring that same hope to everyone we know. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

God favors those who choose to rely on Him.

Matthew 5:7-10 (ESV)

7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Yesterday, we looked at how God shows favor to those who rely on him because it’s the only option they have. Let’s be honest though, many of us won’t fall into that category. If you’re reading this on a phone or computer, you already have more money than most of the people in the world. It’s even possible you’ve never really experienced true tragedy, and have always had friends or family to bail you out when things have gotten bad.

In today's verses, Jesus starts to address a different group of people, those who choose God over their own desires.

Those who are merciful: People who have power to harm or destroy another and choose not to.

Those whose hearts are pure: People who don’t watch, say, and think what’s cool, only what is good and right.

Those who work for peace: Those who give their time, money, and lives to bring peace and salvation to the broken and hurting around them.

Those who are persecuted for doing right: Anyone who does what is good in God’s eyes and is harmed by others for it.

God recognizes that these people are choosing to give their lives for Him, and for the sake of helping others. God loves this, for it is an imitation of how much he loves us. If everyone acted just a little more like our God, the world would be irreversibly changed for the better.

Dear Lord, help us to be merciful and forgiving, cleanse our heart and make it pure. Help us to follow Your will in everything we do. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

God favors those who must rely on him

Matthew 5:1-6  (ESV)

5 Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him.

2 And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

Jesus’ most famous teaching is the sermon on the mount. Right at the start, Jesus takes everyone up the side of a mountain to teach. Imagine the views and the fresh air. Here, on top of the mountain, with the greatest teacher here, people could start to forget their troubles and woes. And Jesus begins by talking about those God has blessed. But what is a blessing?

According to the dictionary, a blessing is “God’s favor and protection”. So anyone “blessed” would be gaining extra grace, favor, protection, and gifts. Jesus begins listing those whom God regards with special favor, but it wasn’t the list people were expecting.

The Poor: Those who don’t have food, water, shelter, or clothing.

Those who mourn: People who have experienced great tragedy.

Those who are humble: Those who don’t use power for gain.

Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness: People who deeply desire to live holy lives.

And what do all of these groups have in common? Each of these people are forced to rely on God. They don’t have any other options. They don’t have riches, or entertainment, or influence, or power. The only source of comfort and protection they have is from God.

God blesses them and favors them. He does this because he desires this mindset from all of us, even if we have riches or anything else, God still wants us to need him.

And the Truth is, regardless of what we have, We need him.

Dear Lord, we thank you so much for Your love and mercy. We want to receive Your favor and protection. Please help us to always rely on You, instead of on things or other people. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

When you yield your work it is worship

Galatians 5:25 (ESV)

If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.

Do you realize that when you are doing what the Lord has called you to do in business, that your very work is worship, brings glory to Him, and can usher in the presence of God? You don’t have to try so hard to evangelize or force something to happen in your interactions with people through your business, when you can simply invite His presence and yield yourself and your work to God.

If you’re in a service-based business, understand that as you’re yielded to Holy Spirit and invite Him into your business by seeking His direction and strategy for the individual clients you serve, your interactions with your clients and customers are demonstrating the presence of God. You’re speaking life and light into their situations. You are solving their problems under the leading of Holy Spirit and often provided with insight that you simply wouldn’t have had access to without God revealing it to you. Imagine your client saying to you in a meeting, “Wow, how did you know that?”

The same thing can and will happen in your interactions with vendors, employees, or contractors, regardless of your business type.

You have the honor and privilege to help people (both believers and unbelievers) encounter Jesus Christ through the work you do in the marketplace. Trust and yield to whatever Holy Spirit leads and guides you to do in your interactions with others. When you create an atmosphere for the presence of God in your business, you’ll find that opportunities to draw others to Jesus Christ through words and deed will naturally (actually supernaturally!) arise.

Dear Lord, thank You for the ministry that You give us at work. Help us to invite Your presence and yield ourself and our work to You. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Be A Thermostat, Not A Thermometer

Mark 4:35-41 (ESV)

35 On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” 36 And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. 37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. 38 But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” 39 And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. 40 He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” 41 And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

As a Kingdom entrepreneur, you have the ability to set atmospheres and shift undesirable atmospheres. You don’t simply measure the temperature like a thermometer, you impact it like a thermostat!

You can create an atmosphere that ushers in the presence and the peace of God; unspeakable peace that those who walk into the room and don’t know the love of Christ don’t even understand. They simply think to themselves “There’s something different about this place” or “It’s so peaceful here” or perhaps they don’t think anything at all, but their spirit responds to His presence which creates a desirable experience while doing business with you. You never know when someone who was having a terrible day or is going through a very challenging season of life will be impacted by even 5-10 minutes of God’s peace in your establishment.

If you’re hosting an event, you can set the atmosphere in that room before the attendees ever show up. If you spend time on the phones with clients, you can set the atmosphere for your call prior to picking up the phone. If you have a business meeting, you can set the atmosphere for that meeting before it even begins.

You can set the atmosphere through prayer, praise, worship (with or without music), and/or declaring the word of God. Remember that when you draw near to God, He draws near to you. He is drawn to your heart towards Him.

You can also shift atmospheres from undesirable to desirable. Did someone walk in the room with a negative attitude before an important meeting was about to begin? Shift the atmosphere!  Did you enter someone else’s business where the air was so thick and heavy?  Shift the atmosphere! It doesn’t have to be loud or obvious to anyone else -- just shift it!

Dear Lord, help us to be a thermostat today setting the temperature for You today. Help us to not just measure the temperature around us and let it guide us. Help us to guide those around us. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Being Aware of God's Presence

James 4:8 (ESV)

Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

God is always present, but before you can demonstrate the presence of God to others in the marketplace, it’s important to cultivate an active awareness of His presence in your own life and business. It’s about preparing your heart, seeking Him sincerely, and expecting Him to reveal Himself in the mighty way that He does.

Have conversations with God throughout the day, talking to Him just like you're talking to a friend.  Tell Him what’s going on and just listen to what He has to share with you. I often ask God “What’s your perspective on this situation?” and ask Him to help me see things from His point of view.  Sometimes He responses by reminding me of a scripture or a previous experience or conversation with someone. Other times He simply becomes a source of peace which makes realize that everything is going to be ok. Sometimes the response even comes in the form of song lyrics! Your Father knows exactly how to connect with you.

Invite God’s presence throughout the day as you go about your ordinary activities. Take moments to pause and meditate on His goodness and thank Him for being with you as you work. It may feel unusual to you at times, but as you cultivate greater intimacy it eventually becomes as normal as breathing.

Whatever you are hungry for when it comes to growing in your relationship with God, He will satisfy it. Expect His presence to transform you from the inside out.

Dear Lord, help us to hunger for You. Thank You for the promise that if we seek after You, You will be there to satisfy. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

You Carry God's Presence

Exodus 33:15-17 (ESV)

15 And he said to him, “If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here. 16 For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people? Is it not in your going with us, so that we are distinct, I and your people, from every other people on the face of the earth?”17 And the Lord said to Moses, “This very thing that you have spoken I will do, for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name.”

There is a good reason why Moses said to the Lord, “If your presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here” before leading the Israelites to the land God promised. He understood that it was God’s presence that made the difference. He knew that it was God’s presence that would distinguish them from everyone else on the earth. 

The presence of God brings peace; one that surpasses all understanding and guards your heart and mind, independent of your outward circumstances. With the presence of Almighty God, you can live without fear because He is greater than anything you face in the world.

God has made you a carrier of His presence. You are a carrier of His glory. You are a carrier of His fire. This is true even if you are not called to the office of an apostle, prophet, pastor, teacher, or evangelist in the church. You are a Kingdom entrepreneur, and God desires to use you mightily in the marketplace to bring His transforming presence.

There is an entire world that is hungry and crying out for an encounter with God and to know that He is real. He wants His glory in all the earth and will use you in the most amazing and spontaneous ways to draw people to Him. Are you willing to yield yourself to Him and enjoy the adventure of Christ centered and Holy Spirit-led business?

Dear Lord help us to let You lead us to reach those around us that so desperately need You. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.