“You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its flavor, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled on by people. You are the light of the world. A city located on a hill cannot be hidden. People do not light a lamp and put it under a basket but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before people, so that they can see your good deeds and give honor to your Father in heaven. – Matthew 5.13-16

There is both a startling interest and ignorance in the 21^st century church regarding spiritual growth. The interest appears to be in a field called “Spiritual Formation”, an eclectic collection of spiritual disciplines that form one’s spiritual life. The ignorance stems from the lack of understanding most Christians have in the nature of “growing up in Christ.” We go to church, read our Bible, and pray before each meal and after a while we wonder why. Is it making a difference? How can we know that we are growing in spiritual maturity and in our relationship with God?

Allow me to approach this topic by asking another question: Was Jesus crucified for what he said or for what he did?

Jesus wasn’t crucified for healing the sick, raising the dead, casting out demons, or turning water into wine. He was crucified because he claimed to be God. It was his words, not his actions that brought about his death on a cross. The same is true of all who have ever followed God. The prophets, for instance, were not killed for their lifestyle, but because of their testimony of God’s word. When we are persecuted it too is because of our words.

Today the world would much prefer Christians who do good deeds and kept their mouths shut than Christians who live a life that is consistent with their spoken testimony about God. In Matthew 5.13-16 Jesus talks about “salt and light.” Two chapters later he will teach us that the man who hears God’s word and put’s it into practice is blessed. This is salt and light. Salt, like our words, can be bitter and is noticed only when on the tongue. Light, like good deeds, is visible for all to see. When these two elements come together, words and deeds, salt and light, we experience growth and a closer relationship with God.

Most of us have the actions down to an art form. We go to church, we read the Bible, we pray, we may even volunteer at a homeless shelter or soup kitchen. When it comes to telling others about God, however, we fall short. Almost all of us know this to be true. Our co-workers may know we are Christian, but they never ask us what that means. Our unbelieving family members never seem interested in pursuing spiritual topics. We let opportunities slide and feel guilty about it later. I tell you the truth, you will never grow spiritually until you start testifying about Jesus.

We must come to the realization that being like Jesus is about being salt and light. It’s about speaking and behaving like Jesus. And it may mean suffering, unemployment, loss of friendships and possibly even death but with this truth bound to our hearts we can know God in ways we haven’t even considered. That relationship will flourish not for that moment alone or even a lifetime, but for time everlasting.