Enhancing the Flavor

by Kelly Dixon

Reading: Matthew 5:13-16

On November 3rd, the Ladies for Jesus Leadership Team began a prayer initiative to open ourselves up to the Lord and allow Him to examine our hearts individually. As we look at the ministry the Lord has called us to collectively, we see that He wants more “flavor” from us not only as a group but as individuals as well. For us, it is a necessary step we must take to be more effective in our ministry. The prayer initiative consists of 40 days of focus prayer. As we pray, we are to request the Lord to search our hearts, test us, know our thoughts, see if there is any offensive way in us, and lead us in the way everlasting. These requests are the same that David made in Psalm 139:23-24. The exciting part about this prayer initiative is even though this process leads to spiritual surgery by our Father on our own hearts, it also leads us to enhancing the “flavor” of our witness to this hurting world.

In Matthew 5:13-16, Jesus describes His followers as the salt and light of the world. He calls for us to enhance the world by flavoring it and by placing our light on a stand for all to see. It is important to note that Jesus starts with saying we are the salt. For us to shine our light to this world, we must begin with our own heart and remove the weight that hinders our witness. It is easy for us to loose the flavor of our salt. Our own actions or lack of actions can damage our witness and we will not be able to regain the effectiveness we once had. That is why it is important to open ourselves up to the Lord and allow Him to examine our hearts. If we are to be effective for Him in this world and enhance the spreading of His message, then we must begin with our own hearts and our own actions.

Are you enhancing this world or blending in? Jesus calls His servants to reach far in our influence on this world. By our presence alone, we should be significant as salt on food and as light in darkness. Neither is loud or externally impressive, but both are essential. Open up to the Lord and request that He examine your heart and remove any offensive way in you. Don’t take the risk of allowing your actions to hinder your witness.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I pray as David prayed, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Amen.