As I reflect on Matthew 5:13-16 this morning, I’m reminded of a conversation I had with a client last week. She felt invisible, like her struggles with anxiety made her useless to everyone around her. But Jesus tells us something radically different about who we are.
“You are the salt of the earth… You are the light of the world.”
Notice He doesn’t say you could be or you should try to become. You ARE. Right now, in your messy kitchen, dealing with difficult teenagers, navigating workplace stress, or sitting in my therapy office working through trauma—you are salt and light.
Salt preserves and enhances flavor. In our relationships, we preserve what’s good by choosing patience over irritation, grace over judgment. We enhance others’ lives through genuine listening, authentic presence, and small acts of kindness. That encouraging text you send, the meal you prepare for a struggling neighbor, the way you really see the cashier at the grocery store—this is salt at work.
Light dispels darkness simply by being itself. Your light isn’t about having all the answers or living a perfect life. It’s about letting God’s love shine through your authentic self—including your struggles. Some of the brightest lights I know are people who’ve walked through deep valleys and can now offer hope to others in darkness.
Jesus reminds us not to hide our light under a basket. Fear, shame, and insecurity are the baskets we tend to use. But when we step out authentically, flaws and all, people see not our perfection but God’s goodness working in and through us.
Today, be salt. Be light. Not because you have to earn God’s love, but because you already have it—and that changes everything about how you move through the world.
“In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” – Matthew 5:16
Salt + Cedar Collective 