Are You Over Salting?

Jesus said in Matthew 5:13 that we as Christians are to be the salt of the earth. So I’m wondering, have you ever set down to eat, grabbed the salt shaker and over salted your food? Too much salt can actually leave a bad taste in your mouth. That’s not very pleasant is it? Then why is it that so many Christians feel the need to get all up in people’s business when it comes to presenting the Gospel?

We are commanded to preach the good news to a lost and dying world, and I get that. What I don’t understand is how some people go about it. The people who use doom and gloom, or hellfire and damnation as the tool to win the lost don’t make any sense to me. I mean, yeah they put on a pretty good show, but I thought it was the goodness of God that leads man to repentance, (Romans 2:4) not just the fear of going to hell.

God’s plan for mankind is a good one. Jesus himself said that he had come to bring the good news to the poor, set the captives free, heal the blind and proclaim that God’s favor had come. (Luke 4:18 – 19) Even a casual look through the Bible will reveal that Jesus never preached a hellfire and damnation message to the lost. Those types of messages seem to be full of anger, and the only people that Jesus ever seemed to be angry with were the religious people.

I think that it is so important that we reach the people who are in our sphere of influence; we are commanded to do so. But we will do that so much better if we develop good solid relationships with them first. Through those relationships, they will see how good God is in our lives, and then they will desire that in their lives too. This is when they will ask us about the hope that is within us (1 Peter 3:15), to which Peter says we are supposed to share this information with them in gentleness and respect.

So I think it’s time that we stop over salting the lost, and instead start to build relationships with them. Taking time to invest in their lives and not be so concerned with another notch on our Christian belt. Strength and honor for the Kingdom and the King!