Scriptural Reference:

13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.

14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
Matthew 5:13-16

"I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you."
Psalm 119:11

"If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God."
1 John 4:15

“Or do you not realise about yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you?”
2 Corinthians 13:5

Reflection:

An athlete prepares for a challenge. They spend weeks training and eating a special diet that will build muscles and stamina. The focus on the end goal or end game as they visualise themselves completing the challenge and winning the prize. You could safely say that they are filled with nothing but the complete participation from beginning to successful end. Spectators can look at the athlete as they get ready to participate. They can see the intense power and balance of every fibre of the athletes body. The determination on The face of The athlete makes each spectator become enthralled with what's about to take place.

Now imagine what this would like for a Christian getting up each morning. To have The same intense focus and determination as The athlete. To be completely filled with God within so that anyone who looks on them will see they are driven with an inner fire. So that The world will see God within them in such a way as they can't help but be impressed. That is what The Bible tells us we nee to have. We need to have God and His Son Jesus The Christ so empowered within us that everything we do is super charged with The power. But do we live life like that? Do we wake each morning and feel The energy that living with God within us gives us? Or do we start each day with a dreaded mental list of earthly chores that we are going to be faced with. So many worldly tasks that staying in bed becomes a greater pleasure than getting up in The power of God? What is it like for you each morning?

Matthew 5:13-16
We are The Salt of The earth. In times gone past salt was deemed an amazing element. Something that not only gave food a zesty flavour but also could keep food from perishing and thus lasting longer. A splendid metaphor for our faith. We are also The light of The world. We are told many times how people without God in their lives stumble in The darkness. Never finding The safety of God's divine Grace through all The traps and hidden dangers around them. So just like a light we are tasked with helping people find their way back to God through His Son Jesus The Christ. In both metaphors we are given an example of what not to do with our gifts. We are not to waste The salt of God's word. We re to keep our 'saltiness' fresh and invigorating. Otherwise our stale faith and lack of zeal will make our witness useless. Just as The salt we are also compared to a light. Though that light is useless if it is hidden. Just like our faith is useless if we hide it from others. Of course there are those who will do this to avoid judgment from non believers. Yet those same negative non believers will attack you for any other number of excuses. We need to keep The salt and The light of our faith alive and vibrant.

Psalm 119:11
So how do we continue in The faith while protecting ourselves from backsliding? What can we do to make sure that our salt and light stay as zesty and bright as they need to be in a bitter and dark world? We can do this by studying The Bible. Sadly many who attend Church each Sunday seem to believe they only need to listen, or look like they are, to The sermon. Taking away some small piece of it that might make sense or feel comfortable. What these people have forgotten is they need to back their faith with a consistent reading of The Bible.

1 John 4:15
Now back to our analogy or comparison between an athlete. and a Christian. Many athletes will wear branding. That's The name of The company that sponsors and supports them wherever they go. Such sponsorship can be The difference between training with The latest equipment or making due with old out of date bits and pieces. The athlete proudly wears such branding as it shows just how special they are to those who support them. Christians too have an amazing sponsors and supporter. Someone who has given His all to give us each an advantage in life. We show our praise for God through our acknowledgment of God within us. We proudly wave The flag of our faith (yes this is one time when you can truly be proud). But do we/ Or do we turn our shirts inside out to cover The God brand that we should wear with pride? Imagine if an athlete were to be sponsored by a hugely successful company only to turn their track shirt inside out so nobody would be able to see The brand or know who was supporting them. Their sponsorship would quickly dry up. Thankfully God doesn't ever withdraw His support or His encouragement. It's us who will suffer from such a foolish act.

2 Corinthians 13:5
Finally many Christians become saved and than go on with life as if nothing really has changed. They go to Church, pray for others, pay their tithes and give a friendly nod to God as being The most important person in their life; all The while forgetting that Jesus The Christ is living within them. I remember a popular anime series called Beach. In one of The episodes, and yes there were many, a Ninja becomes disconnected from The spirit of his sword. The bond between Ninja and their sword is explained as being vital for both tow work correctly. Any imbalance or corruption of The bond makes it impossible for The Ninja to gain The advantage of The swords wisdom and power. The Ninja in The story had become vain and believed he no longer needed to keep The bond alive. That they could easily just draw The sword and demand it obey. Sadly due to The broken bond or link The sword was no longer able to assist them. So when The crucial time came they called for The sword they were unable to feel or connect with it. Christians risk doing something very similar. The longer they walk around oblivious of The presence of Jesus within them The weaker The bond between them and Jesus can become. This is not to say Jesus becomes weak. As we know Jesus is The same yesterday, today and for always. It's to express that our ability to hear His guiding words and feel The comfort of The Holy Spirit becomes numb. We lose our ability to recognise truth from the harsh and sometimes pretty words The world will use to lure us astray.

So in short, we as Christians need to stay focused as a professional athlete. Keep our faith sharp and bright. While we consistently study The Word of God The Holy Bible. Never forget The Bible is truly The Holy Word of God. As we rejoice in our relationship with Jesus The Christ within us.

Prayer:

Heaven;y Father,
May live each and every day,
As a bright and shining light,
Radiating your Grace to The World.

May my words be your Words,
My acts be your acts of kindness,
My heart be filled with your Grace.

It won't always be easy for me,
But I now that with you within,
I can face any challenge..

Amen