Matthew 5:13-16

I’m a Changemaker Fellow with a stalled (for now) project, so the words in verse 13 come with a sting. Have I lost my purpose? Am I, personally, “no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and walked on?” The struggle with this question is a familiar one for me, a person with some health issues that often blur my focus and sap my energy. I read somewhere, though, that if your understanding of a Bible passage doesn’t sound like Jesus, you need to reread and rethink it. I can only think of one instance where Jesus himself seemed to directly disparage a person’s worth (Matthew 15:26), and in that case it was Jesus himself who did the rethinking. He ended up focusing on the woman’s faith.

After Jesus speaks about salt, he pivots to focus on light, saying “You are (my) light to the world.” That’s a purpose anyone can take on, and one that guides me day by day as I go about my ordinary tasks. Can I give a smile, an acknowledgement, an encouragement, an appreciation that makes those I encounter feel God’s light and love? I can certainly try!  I can also pray and think about how to revitalize my project. Whatever happens, though, I have a purpose. We all do.

PRAYER: Loving God, open our eyes and our hearts, we pray, to the light that shines from you through us and throughout the world. Let being your light be our purpose, as it was for your son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

PROMPT: Who are the people God is placing in front of me today? How can I be His light for them?