Because of an increase in heart disease, many people are trying to cut salt out of their diets. Salt is viewed rather negatively by people in the health care industry. It is hard for us to believe that salt used to be a special and sacred spice. When the Moors ruled North Africa and Spain, salt was traded weight for weight for gold. Concurring armies would sprinkle salt around the cities they had razed in an attempt to purify them. Even Roman soldiers at times were paid in salt, hence the saying begin to circulate “worth his salt.”  

Perhaps the greatest need for the ancients to own salt has not even been mentioned. If one of these “end of the world” scenarios ever played out, salt would quickly become as costly today as it was in the ancient world. Salt is and was important because of its preserving abilities. In a world without refrigeration, salt is one of the only ways to preserve food. Salt keeps stuff from rotting.

Jesus said, “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.” What did Jesus mean when He called us salt? Did He mean that we brought flavor to this world? Did He mean that we are valuable to this world? Did He mean we were special and sacred? Jesus may have had all those things in mind, but mostly I believe that He was thinking about our preserving abilities. In a world that is rotting and decaying, all from sin, we have been sprinkled in to keep it pure. Our purpose is to keep this world from rotting. We are preserving the world, sharing the Gospel, until the day of Christ returns.

Remember this: you have value, you have flavor, and you have purpose. Preserve, keep fresh, and save the world. Intrinsically, this is what you were meant to do.