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When the salt losses its flavour…

By Timi David
22 July 2018   |   3:13 am
The church is under serious bashing and heavily criticised by the society today because we have refused to show leadership. We have become self-centred, building our own empires with no positive influence on the society.

Timi David

“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matt 5:13-16) NKJV

The church is under serious bashing and heavily criticised by the society today because we have refused to show leadership. We have become self-centred, building our own empires with no positive influence on the society. When the salt loses its flavor, men will see it as good for nothing and it will be trampled underfoot. We are the light of the world not the light of the church. We have become too “churchy” that we have no influence on our society. Why do believers volunteer in church and refuses to volunteer in the larger Society? The reason is the messages we preach in Church! We tell our members that God will reward them greatly if they volunteer in Church; but we hardly tell them that Service to humanity is also service to God!

When preachers talk about giving, most times their scope is only limited to giving to Church. We teach our members to give to Church projects, Pastors and the needy in the church. Most churchesí benevolence doesnít extend to the society. We are myopic in our vision, self-centred, never thinking about the larger society. We only focus on ourselves when we teach on giving. We should remember to teach our members that giving to a neighbour who is in need, or our community to alleviate poverty is equally giving to God.

Most people Serve in church from morning till night on Sunday but cannot give one to two hours to their community or neighbourhood on a weekend. You know why? They think that there is a bigger reward when they do it in church than when they do it in the society. We have become transactional in our relationship with God. We do things for what we can get back in return. Most people aren’t truly serving in church because of their love for God and the brethren, they are doing it, so God can see their good works and bless them in return. Becoming a worker in church does not carry more reward than joining the Red Cross! If truly helping people is our nature; then it doesn’t matter who needs help, we should be more than willing to help.

Believers run from joining the Parents/ Teachers Association of their children schools. They will never attend any village meeting; they will not be part of Landlord/ Resident Association, Volunteer, as executives of Labour Union, not to talk of joining a political party. We stay away from the places we can influence others with the principles of Jesus and complain about everything in the Nation. Instead of taking our rightful place as the light of the world and the salt of the earth, we take the back seat and later declare fasting and prayers for God to change the very things He has empowered us to influence.

There is so much darkness in the world today because we have refused to shine our light. So much bitterness because the church has fenced herself up with walls. When we become bigger, we continue to build bigger walls instead of going into the world and effect change in the society. We have lost our flavor and influence over the society.

Jesus was called a friend of sinners and tax collectors. He attended their parties, He healed their sick and fed the hungry. He helped them in their time of need. Most of the people Jesus taught on the mountain may not be attending the synagogue neither were they members of any denomination; they were ordinary members of the society. He changed their thinking and influenced their culture.

Everyone will not come to Church; we must take the church to them. We don’t always have to preach using big megaphones or loud speakers. Our action speaks louder than words. We should be living epistles to the world! Most times we monopolise Jesus as if He only died for the church. He is not the Saviour of the church only; He is the Saviour of the world. God does not only love the Church, He also loves the world. In fact, He loves the world so much that He sent His Son to die for it. The mandate to preach the Good News was given to believers so we could take the gospel around the world.
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