Prior to modern electricity and appliances, there wasn’t a way to store a large quantity of food. Back in the first century, salt was used to extend the life of and preserve meat. Since all living things require water and cannot grow in the absence of it, salt dries out food and prevents bacteria from growing. In the passage below, Jesus uses salt as a way to add flavor. However, instead of referring to food, Christians should add flavor to the lives of the people you come in contact with daily.
You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste (its strength, its quality), how can its saltness be restored? It is not good for anything any longer but to be thrown out and trodden underfoot by men, Matthew 5:13.
Unfortunately, as the weight of the worries in this world take a toll on human souls, you may not feel like passing on God’s love. The apostle Paul writes about this state of mind in Philippians 2:1-4. When you let yourself get run down, you lose the ability to help other people effectively. If you ever find yourself struggling to get through each day, you need to take time to renew and revive your own soul. Then and only then will you be able to preserve the lives of others.
But our way is not that of those who draw back to eternal misery (perdition) and are utterly destroyed, but we are of those who believe [who cleave to and trust in and rely on God through Jesus Christ, the Messiah] and by faith preserve the soul, Hebrews 10:39.
In the last passage leading up to the Bible’s version of the Hall of Fame, Hebrews 11, the author eludes to individuals who left their faith. At some point in life, these Christians abandoned their new life in Christ to indulge the addictions, bad habits, cravings and desires of their past. To avoid making the same mistakes of these wayward believers, the author points to heroes of the Christian faith. By examining and studying the choices that they made, you will be able to preserve your soul in the future regardless how long COVID-19 continues to last.
by Jay Mankus