Tag: Christians

52 Reasons to Love the Church

#22- The Salt of the Earth

By Kathy Pollard

Neal and I recently had lunch with our dear friends, Roger and Joyce Johnson. One thing I’ve noticed about them is they always have a good word to say about others. On this particular occasion, Roger described someone as “salt of the earth” and went on to list the character traits that made him such. I couldn’t help but think that we know many people who could be described that way (Roger and Joyce included).

What do you think of when you hear that someone is “salt of the earth”? I think of words like dependable, trustworthy, reliable, honest, humble, fair, true, and good. Someone who is full of integrity and committed to doing the right thing.

Jesus described the “blessed” with words like “meek,” “merciful,” “pure in heart,” and “peacemakers.” He then called them the “salt of the earth” and the “light of the world” because others would see their “good deeds” and God would be glorified (Matt. 5:1-16). He was talking to His disciples. “You are the salt of the earth.”

A couple of millennia have gone by since Jesus said those words, urging His followers to stand out by way of good character and good deeds. How many have risen to that calling since then and still do today? We have no way of knowing, but if my own limited exposure is any indication, then there have been a great number! If I were tasked with listing names of “salt of the earth” people that I know, I could small-font fill a paper in no time.

The church is filled with people humbly doing their best to glorify God with their lives. They’re not perfect. They’re just striving to be the “blessed” that Jesus described. They are the salt of the earth, and we are blessed to know them!

Roger & Joyce Johnson

52 Reasons to Love the Church

3. Christians are My Favorite People

By Kathy Pollard

When I read Psalm 16, I envision David looking up as he says, “You are my Lord; I have no good apart from You” (v. 2). Then I picture David looking around as he says, “As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight” (v. 3). What a beautiful psalm and prayer, one I heartily echo. “You are good, God, and I love You. And Your people are good, and I love them, too.”

David goes on to thank God for His guidance:

  • “I bless the Lord who gives me counsel” (v. 7).
  • “You make known to me the path of life” (v. 11).

And he also thanks God for His presence:

  • “Because He is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken” (v. 8).
  • “In Your presence there is fullness of joy” (v. 11).

We can praise God for those things, too, and sometimes His guidance and His presence are experienced through His people. Think about the times you’ve received spiritual counsel from Christian friends, preachers, Bible class teachers, or elders. We know God uses His people for instruction (Rom. 10:14-15; 2 Tim. 4:2). And how can we not see God when we spend time with those who are doing their best to look and act like Him (Gal. 2:20; 1 Cor. 11:1)?

Perhaps the best part of this short psalm is how often David freely expresses his happiness:

  • “delight” (v. 3)
  • “pleasant” (v. 6)
  • “beautiful” (v. 6)
  • “glad” (v. 9)
  • “rejoices” (v. 9)
  • “fullness of joy” (v. 11)
  • “pleasures forevermore” (v. 11)

We know David’s life wasn’t perfect or trouble free. He speaks of his pain in other psalms (see Psalms 6, 13, and 38). And yet his joy is undeniable. How is that possible? I think the answer goes back to the opening lines of the psalm. He looked to God for goodness and also saw goodness in the people of God. I love how David unashamedly praises God’s people. There was no doubt how he felt about them. “The saints are the excellent ones! I delight in them!” We’d get some funny looks if we went around talking like that. But I imagine we could all benefit from looking for and believing in the goodness of fellow Christians. And then freely sharing it with others. (Shouldn’t the people around us have an idea that we love God’s people and enjoy being with them?) Then we, too, will experience the joy, gladness, and pleasure of keeping God before us and His people around us.