There’s no better way than being “scrubbed” with the salt of service

Keep salt in yourselves and you will have peace with one another

It’s difficult to underestimate the value of salt.   This common substance not only flavors and preserves our foods and melts ice on the roads in winter;   it is also a very effective cleanser.   Massage therapists will often use salt scrubs to unclog a person’s pores and rub away dead, hardened skin.

Just before Jesus talked to his disciples about the value of being salted, they had been arguing about who was the greatest among them.   Jesus reminded them that whoever wants to be first must be last and the servant of all (Mark 9:33-37).   He taught them that humility and self-giving are the pathway to true greatness.   Why is this so?   Because humble service acts as a salt scrub. It rubs away selfishness, self-promotion, and boasting.   It unclogs in us what pride and sin have covered over.   More than anything else, humility can cleanse and purify us of everything that pollutes or degrades the life of God in us.   It seems ironic, but humility lifts us up; it reveals our true beauty as children of God.

You don’t have to look far to find opportunities to humble yourself and serve other people.   According to St. Francis de Sales,  “Great occasions for serving God seldom come, but little ones surround us daily.”   Kindness to an irritable spouse, patience with a slow driver, and encouragement to a struggling coworker are all little acts of service.   Offering to empty the dishwasher, pick up the dry cleaning, and pour someone a second cup of coffee — these small personal acts can help you keep “salt” in yourself — and they can promote peace with those around you.   Through them, you are offering your life to God and to his people — and that’s always a beautiful sight!

Today, ask the Holy Spirit to lead you into three different situations in which you can be of humble service.   Then let God direct your steps to those places where you are most needed.   Don’t dismiss anything he leads you to, even if it seems insignificant or distasteful.   You never know;  it just might be the thing that cleanses you the most.

God wants you to grow in his life.   There’s no better way than being “scrubbed” with the salt of service!

Word Among Us