Flavors and Colors

Let me tell you why you are here. You're here to be salt seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You've lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage. Here's another way to put it: You're here be to light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We're going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don't think I'm going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I'm putting you on a light stand. Now that I've put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand - shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you'll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven. Jesus, Matthew 5, from THE MESSAGE

I love this passage. We are to bring out the God flavors and God colors of this world. That sounds so beautiful and exciting. However, most Christians don't come close to doing this because we don't experience it ourselves. Whether it is because we are beaten down by the world, others around us, our past, or our own sin, Christians often are miserable, defeated, and tired. I think that we are more prone to introspection and despair than others because we become aware of our sin and how we are supposed to be. Unfortunately, we know little about how to get there. We try harder and harder, or we give up, compromise, and rationalize all of our our failures and issues. Both solutions are futile and entirely unnecessary. We have a Savior in Jesus Christ who wants to bless us, to show us His beauty, and to give us life abundant (John 10:10). But this life is attained through faith and the question of our lives is, "Do you believe?" If we believe, truly believe that God loves us and wants to bless us, then we can, by faith live the life that He has for us. If we believe that we are on our own, or we have to find satisfaction in the things of this world, then our flavor and color fades and we aren't worth much of anything to ourselves or anyone else.

THE MESSAGE says in Matthew 6:33,34 Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.