In what way Jesus' followers are salt and light?

Question

How can we be light ( in others' life ) ?

Answer 1

Salt resists corruption light reveals the Way.. As Christians we are called to resist evil and point out the path to Jesus, the Way.. IHS Jim

Answer 2

You can be light to the world by doing what Jesus would want you to do, love others, let them see Jesus and God's love in you...(Matthew 5:13-16 ) 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 by men.
14“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15Neither 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. 16In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

Answer 3

For some reason, your question sparked a train of thought that led me to a flashlight. Suppose I looked out my window and saw my neighbor searching in the dark for something she can't find. If I have a flashlight, I can respond in one of several ways...

I can leave it in the closet and never let her know that I have it. I can ignore her need out of fear that she'll reject my help or that I'll be somehow harmed by offering assistance.

I can run outside and choose to shine my flashlight in directly in her eyes. Perhaps I'm trying to assess whether she's to blame for her problems or perhaps I'm just insensitive. In either case, this strategy is worse than hiding my flashlight because now she's blinded by the light and can see even less than she could see before I intervened.

Finally, I can use my flashlight to help her find what she's searching for...I can use it to illuminate the place where she is so she can see what she needs to see.

How can we be light in the lives of others...by reaching out to them when they need assistance and, more importantly, by being available to assist when they ask for help. When we let the love of God shine through us, we don't have to chase after people with our flashlight...they will come to us...but only if they see that we have something that they want.

I found a quote in a book I'm reading that I thought addressed your original question perfectly...

"Being salt and light demands two things: we practice purity in the midst of a fallen world and yet we live in proximity to this fallen world. If you don't hold up both truths in tension, you invariably become useless and separated from the world God loves. For example, if you only practice purity apart from proximity to the culture, you inevitably become pietistic, separatist and conceited. If you live in close proximity to the cluture without also living in a holy manner, you become indistinguishable from fallen culture and useless in God's kingdom" (Mike Metzger as quoted in unChristian by David Kinnaman).

In short, being salt requires us to preserve our purity...being light requires us to let others see what we have. It is a difficult balance...but if we hide from the world to avoid things that could lead us to sin, the world can't see our light. On the other hand, if we embrace the world so others can see and allow that to rob us of our salt, what we're showing them isn't the true light!

Answer 4

christianity depends on them as life depends on salt and light

Answer 5

Salt...that which brings cleansing, healing, purification.
Light....revealing 0ne who is THE Light.

Answer 6

Let us see....Hummm....Lot's wife turned to salt as the night was lit up with the burning and destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.