Too Much Salt

Bible Reading: Matthew 5:13; Colossians 4:5-6

Sawyer reached for the salt shaker as he and his family were eating dinner. “You know what?” he said. “Today I remembered what Pastor Howell said about Christians being the salt of the earth, and I decided to witness to Kayden. He’s always doing really bad stuff. He’s mean to the little kids, and today I saw him cheat. So I told him he was a sinner headed straight for hell, and that he should repent and trust in Jesus.”

“Whoa! Sounds like you came on a little strong,” said Dad.

“I invited him to come to church too,” said Sawyer, “but he said he already goes. It must be a pretty bad church he goes to if he isn’t a Christian yet.”

“I hope you didn’t tell Kayden that,” said Mom. “Did you?”

“Um, well…maybe,” Sawyer replied.

Mom and Dad looked at each other and sighed. “Sawyer, if you insult Kayden when you’re talking to him, he might get angry and not listen to anything you say,” Dad said.

“I was just trying to witness,” said Sawyer. “How could that ever be anything but good?” He started to sprinkle salt onto his potatoes. After just a few shakes, the top fell off and salt poured out onto his food. Sawyer looked at his plate in dismay.

Mom jumped up to help. “I guess I didn’t put the top on tight when I filled the shakers,” she said.

Dad grinned. “Too much salt there, Sawyer? I think maybe you gave Kayden too much salt today too. It’s great that you witnessed to him, but I think you gave him too much too fast.”

Sawyer got up to get a new plate. “I did?” he asked.

“I’m afraid so,” Dad replied. “Like the Bible says, Christians are like salt, which is needed to improve flavor. The world needs us to spread the good news of Jesus. So don’t stop witnessing, but next time, try to be sensitive to the other person’s feelings, and remember that we’re all sinners in need of Jesus. Maybe you could start by talking about how Jesus has made a difference in your life.”

Sawyer nodded. “I’ll apologize to Kayden tomorrow,” he said. “And I’ll ask Jesus to help me be a better witness for Him.”

-Deborah S. Marett

How About You?

Do you witness to your friends? It’s important to tell people about Jesus, but it’s also important to do it in a loving way. A good place to start is to talk about God’s great love for us and how Jesus died and rose again to save us from our sin. Talk about how He’s changed your life, and show it in the way you treat others. Trust Him to give you the right words as you tell others the good news of what He did for us.

Today’s Key Verse:
Colossians 4:6 Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you should answer each person. (CSB)

Today’s Key Thought:

Witness in a loving way