Day 73 · Week 11
Passage: Matthew 5:13; Philippians 2:14–16
Memory Verse: Matthew 5:13
Philippians 2:15 (KJV)
“That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke...”
For centuries, salt has been used to slow decay and preserve food.
That gives another dimension to Jesus' words about being the salt of the earth.
Christians live in a world damaged by sin. We cannot remove sin from the world by our own efforts. But God's people can resist evil by faithfully living what is good.
A person who refuses to lie makes dishonesty harder to normalize. Someone who treats people with dignity pushes against cruelty. A family that practices faithfulness, forgiveness, purity, and generosity preserves values the surrounding culture may neglect.
Paul told Christians to live faithfully in the midst of a world that did not share their values and to hold forth the word of life.
We should not expect everyone around us to share our convictions. Neither should we allow that difference to make us contemptuous of people.
Salt is useful because it comes into contact with what it is meant to influence.
Jesus sends His people into the world with truth, love, and a different way of living.
What good biblical values can a Christian family help preserve by consistently practicing them?
Where am I most tempted to lower a biblical standard simply because everyone around me seems to?
Ask God to help your family live faithfully in the world without becoming proud toward others or shaped by sinful values.