We are gifts, we are salt and light!
Lily Cathcart
February 11, 2026
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Matthew 5: 13-20 (NIV-UK)
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 underfoot.
14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither 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. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. 19 Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.
If you’ve ever learned a language or practical skill you may have heard the phrase: Use it or lose it. It’s a bit harsh but unfortunately it often also proves to be true. I can no longer count the skills I have lost by tucking them away on my life’s shelf and never picking them up again. Just looking at them proudly and occasionally saying ‘I could do that once you know.’
But we are not stationary beings. God is inviting us on a journey to be salt and light to the world and so we must pack only what we use. We can say goodbye to our once-upon-a-time talents on the shelf and step through the door with only who we are and what we use. What does that leave you with? I have to admit to feeling a bit naked without the shelf of things I used to have.
But God sees me, just as God sees you, and is not disappointed. God is excellent at seeing potential and we know we have the Spirit ready to unearth gifts within us and lead us to learn more. Our job is to nurture those gifts, those skills and talents; not to let them become dusty ornaments on the shelf that we leave behind, but to use them little by little every day, week and month, until they have become as much a part of us as our own hearts.
What things will you carry with you on your journey?
Will you find it hard to leave things behind or relish the new?
Will you take on the challenge of picking up a dusty skill from your own shelf and learning it again?
Whatever you travel with, this is your time, the world needs salt and light right now.
Prayer:
Dear God
Thank you that you give us so many opportunities to learn
Thank you that you see our potential even if we do not
Please help us to use what you have given us
Guide our hearts to where your world needs us
Amen
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