Just a Little More Salt, Please
Typically, when I cook dinner (when is the key word), I usually don’t follow a recipe. I know, I know…that’s super RISKY. However, I’ve found cooking can be fun and creative when I pair vegetables and spices of my own choosing to create something NEW. I’ll add a little bit of this and a little bit of that and then hope it TASTES good! Cooking really is an ART.
I was actually cooking dinner one day this week. It was the day we got our first snowfall of the season. It was a cold, wintery day in Altoona, Pennsylvania. I was on my way home from the office thinking about what I could make for dinner and the creativity started to flow! I knew I had pasta, veggies, and leftover chicken. It’s these chilly days when we crave some comfort food, right ladies?
I looked in my pantry and into my refrigerator to see what I could CREATE for dinner for my husband and me. I then remembered that I had two cans of cream of mushroom soup on the shelf. And just like that, I had all the ingredients to make a warm, cozy, Marshall original, casserole!
The ingredients started to simmer in the pan as I added them together. As the wonderful aroma filled my kitchen, I knew I needed to taste it. I dipped my spoon into the pot and right away, I knew something was missing! It was so BLAND. It definitely needed some onion powder, pepper, and SALT.
I began to add a little bit of this and a little bit of that. I tasted it again, and it was headed in the right direction, so I added a little bit more. (Let me just clarify here that I am not a SALT fanatic and usually don’t add salt to the food that I eat. My husband, on the other hand, loves salt on EVERYTHING.) But, as I was preparing this meal, it was clear that salt was definitely needed. I sprinkled in additional salt and then added a pinch more. After taking yet another taste test, the meal finally had what it needed to be served!
As I was cooking this meal, I was reminded of what the Bible says about SALT. In Colossians 4:6 it says, “Let your speech at all times be gracious and pleasant, seasoned with SALT, so that you will know how to answer each one (who questions you).”- (Amplified Version)
In the NIV, it says, “Let your CONVERSATION be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.”
In other words, our words, speech, and conversations with people should be seasoned with salt. What does that actually mean? Does it mean we literally carry salt in our pockets and shake some salt in our mouths before having a conversation? Does it mean we should eat SUPER salty food 24/7? No, probably not!
I also learned that salt can be used for many different things like:
Stain removal
Wellness
Odor Elimination
Preservative
Salt can also sting. Think about that time when you cut your finger and then accidentally got salt on it. OUCH!
Our words can also have a STING factor. I believe this verse is revealing that our speech is to be gracious, not judgmental. It’s easy to find fault in someone, but it’s not so easy to extend grace or be gracious to someone at that moment.
It’s almost like when our words are seasoned with SALT they become SWEET!
Who doesn’t like a good SWEET and SALTY combination?
This had me thinking and praying:
Lord may the words and my speech be seasoned with SALT so that my conversations are filled with grace and pleasing to you! Give me a dash of salt for each day Lord! (Sodium not included.)
This thought also brought me to Matthew 5:13-16 which says,
“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has lost its taste (purpose), how can it be made salty? It is no longer good for anything, but to be thrown out and walked on by people [when the walkways are wet and slippery].”
“You are the light of [Christ to] the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good deeds and moral excellence, and [recognize and honor and] glorify your Father who is in heaven”.
As I did a little digging into the benefits of salt, I found that there are six functions of salt. They are:
Salt is a food preservative
Salt is a texture enhancer
Salt is a flavor enhancer
Salt is a nutrient source
Salt is a binder
Salt is a color enhancer
Colossians 4 says to let our conversations be seasoned with SALT and Matthew says we are the SALT of the earth. This signifies our purpose and IMPACT on this earth!
We are created to speak with GRACE and ENHANCE this world with the FLAVOR of the Kingdom, pointing people to the Only One who can CHANGE everything. He is JESUS!
As we are called to be the salt and light to this world, let’s remember this portion of scripture in Matthew 5 about light:
“You are the light of [Christ to] the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good deeds and moral excellence, and [recognize and honor and] glorify your Father who is in heaven”.
So ladies, may our lives sprinkle SALT everywhere we go and may we shine brightly. Let our words be gracious, always seasoned with salt, and may our good deeds honor the living God in whom we serve.
Oh! And in case you’re wondering…my husband did enjoy that casserole I made, but he just had to add a little more salt!
Bethany Marshall
