The Outsiders | You Don't Have to Wait

"You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its saltiness, how will it become salty again? It's good for nothing except to be thrown away and trampled under people's feet. You are the light of the world. A city on top of a hill can't be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a basket. Instead, they put it on top of a lampstand, and it shines on all who are in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before people, so they can see the good things you do and praise your Father who is in heaven." 

Matthew 5:13-16 (Common English Bible)

"You will be the salt of the earth... someday, if you work hard enough." "You can become the light of the world... eventually, once you get your act together." "You might be useful to God... if you prove yourself worthy first."

That's not what Jesus said. But it's often what we hear. We assume that being who Jesus says we are is something we have to earn, something we have to work toward, something we have to prove we're qualified for. We think that maybe, someday, if we pray enough and read our Bibles enough and serve enough, we might finally become useful to God.

But that's not what Jesus said. Jesus didn't say "you will be" or "you can become" or "you might be." Jesus said, "You are."

Present tense. Right now. Already. "You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world." Not someday. Not eventually. Not if you work hard enough or prove yourself worthy. You already are.

And this matters because when we think being salt and light is something we have to achieve, we spend all our energy trying to become good enough rather than actually being what Jesus says we already are. We wait until we feel qualified. We hesitate until we think we're ready. We hold back until we believe we've proven ourselves worthy.

But Jesus doesn't tell us to wait. Jesus doesn't tell us to prove ourselves. Jesus tells us that we already are what we need to be. We're already salt. We're already light. The question isn't whether we'll become useful to God someday. The question is whether we'll actually be what we already are.

Think about what this means. Salt doesn't have to wait until it's salty enough before it can preserve food. It's already salty. It just needs to be used. Light doesn't have to wait until it's bright enough before it can shine in darkness. It's already light. It just needs to shine.

And you don't have to wait until you're good enough, or smart enough, or spiritual enough, or qualified enough before you can make a difference in God's kingdom. You already are salt. You already are light. You just need to actually be what Jesus says you are.

This should be incredibly liberating. It means we don't have to spend years getting ourselves together before we can serve God. It means we don't have to prove ourselves worthy before we can make a difference. It means we don't have to wait until we feel ready before we can be used by God.

We can start right now. Right where we are. With all our imperfections and insecurities and uncertainties. Because Jesus isn't waiting for us to become something we're not. Jesus is calling us to be what we already are.

But if we already are salt and light, then we don't have any excuses. We can't say, "I'm not ready yet." We can't say, "I need more time to prepare." We can't say, "Maybe someday when I'm more qualified." Because Jesus has already declared that we are salt and light. The only question is whether we're going to actually function as what we already are.

So who needs you to be salt in their life right now? Not someday when you're more spiritual or more qualified. Right now. Who needs you to be light in their darkness? Not eventually, when you feel ready. Today.

Because you already are what you need to be. The question is whether you'll actually live like it.

Prayer:

God, thank you for declaring that we already are salt and light. Thank you for not making us wait until we're good enough or qualified enough. Forgive us for using our imperfections as excuses for inaction. Forgive us for waiting until we feel ready when you've already declared that we are what we need to be. Help us believe what you've said about us. Help us stop waiting and start being the salt and light you've declared we already are. Give us courage to step into our identity instead of hiding behind our insecurities. Amen.