My wife is fond of salty snacks. Pretzels, popcorn, and potato chips are among her favorites. It’s often appealing to add salt to snacks, vegetables, and other things we eat because it enhances the flavor. When Jesus used this metaphor, he was illustrating the believer’s distinctive role in the world. He implied that we are to add a similarly positive influence on our surroundings, in a way like salt can.

Think of how salt can melt snow and ice. As Christ-followers, we can help to thaw the cold indifference that this world often portrays. God’s love, which fills us and overflows from us, has the power to soften hardened hearts, thaw frozen relationships, and dissolve disagreements.

Think too of how salt enhances the flavor of foods, often making them more tasty and palatable. Christ’s presence within us can similarly add taste to life. Our presence can inject joy and zest into our homes, schools, workplaces, and communities. We can help make gatherings and settings more pleasant, positive, and welcoming.

In addition, salt serves as a preservative. Before we had refrigeration, salt was the primary method of preserving perishable foods. Similarly, we can help to turn back the corrosive effects of sin in the world. As followers of Jesus, we can bring God’s healing, regenerative power to bear on all kinds of situations.