I love to cook, and when I cook my family has told me a time or two the food can be a little spicy, or at times salty! I must admit there are times I don’t follow the cooking instructions exactly and as Emeril says, I like to “kick it up a notch.” Then there are times when they tell me, “Dad, this needs more salt.” This is my biggest fear - not that food has too much flavoring, but when the food I prepare is labeled, you guessed it…. BLAND!
We have all had bland food before. Some of you may like it, but for me, getting the bland label is like Gordan Ramsey calling the food I made every horrible name in the dictionary.
Jesus uses two distinct examples in this parable: salt and light. Everyone in the world knows when something is salty, and all of us at one time have been afraid of the dark and craved the light when we cannot see.
We have all heard the song, “This Little Light of Mine, I’m Going to Let it Shine.” If you haven’t, Google it, and be ready because once you hear the tune it will be stuck in your mind for a while (please forgive me).
The big takeaway I hear Jesus telling us in this parable is that we are unique, we are special, and we bring seasoning and light to the world and the people around us when we’ve encountered Him. He is also challenging us to show up, embrace who we are and be proud of our encounter and relationship with Him. Why, you ask? Because He is Proud of YOU! Please get this... Jesus is fond of you, He brags about you, and He can’t wait to see you in action. He is like a parent watching their child perform in their school play - the parent who is so proud of their kid no matter if the kid is in the background or is the lead actor in the play.
Zephaniah 3:17 tells us what the prophet Zephaniah said to the people of Jerusalem, and I believe it rings true for us today: “The Lord your God is with you; He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.”
This right here not only points to Jesus who is the ultimate symbol of God’s love for each of us, but God the Creator of the World, the One who needs no counsel, who needs nothing to exist- He rejoices over us! Picture that! He delights in us and desperately wants to help us and connect with us for no other reason than because He wants to.
I believe when we experience His love, we not only embrace Him, but we embrace how He has made us. We are willing to share the light that God has given us and we leave people and places better than when we found them.

Reflection:

• What is it about God that blows your mind? (Ex. The God of the universe knows me and desires a relationship with me – 8,000,000,000 people in the world, and He desires to know me! Wow!!)
• What has God gifted you with that you can share with others? Time, Talent, Treasure? (Checkout Serve 101 on the Venture Church App or www.venturechurch.org/serve)
• Challenge: Who, What, When, Where and How? In regards to sharing with others your time, talents, and treasures, answer these questions and ask God to help you take the next right step. Who will you share your (time, talents, and treasures), with? What will you share? When will you share it? Where will you share it? How will you share it? If you are looking to learn more about Venture Church, discover your Spiritual Gifts, or serve on one of our Impact Teams, check-out Serve 101 on the Venture Church app or by visiting www.venturechurch.org/serve.
• Prayer: Father, we love You and we are so thankful for YOU! Help us hear the sweet words of affirmation and encouragement that You freely give us each day! Help us to find time to be still and know that You are God, a God who loves us, delights in us, and rejoices over us! God, help us to share that with those around us! Give us the courage to share our story, share Your love, and show Your love to those who You place in our path. Give us the wisdom to know what You would have us to say or do, and give us the courage to do what is right.

Family Application: Salt and Light

• In today’s reading, we are learning one of the parables that we talked about yesterday. In Matthew 5:13-16, Jesus is comparing His followers (that’s us!) to salt and light. He says that we are the salt of the earth and the light of the world. Before we can understand how we can be salt and light, we have to understand their importance to us. Salt is used to add flavor to food and also to help keep food from going bad and rotting. Light is used to brighten a dark place. So just like salt makes food better, Jesus has called us to help make the people around us better. Just like light shines out of the darkness, Jesus has called us to shine His light and love into the dark world around us. When we know the love of Jesus, it is important for us to share that good news with everyone!
• Verse 13 says, “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.” If we are not doing a good job at making the people around us better, then we are not doing a very good job as a follower of Jesus. None of us are perfect, and we all make mistakes. If you find yourself not having a positive impact on the people around you, pray and ask God to help you.
• Verse 16 says, “let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” What are some good deeds you can do this week to shine your light for Jesus? You might bake cookies for a neighbor, leave a treat for your mail man, clean up a mess that you did not even make, or help your teacher carry her supplies.
• Prayer: God, You are wonderful! Thank You for sending Jesus to be the light of the world! God, help me to be bold in shining Your light all around me! Amen.