On cooking shows, very talented chefs often get cut. How we handle failure is another way people observe us living out our faith.

Do your words and actions give a balanced impression of your faith? Talk to God honestly about it.

A nervous laugh, a stiff smile – be aware of people in your life whose sweetness hides their hurt. How can you reach out to them?

When we meet outsiders, do we respond as Paul instructed in Colossians 4, or do we act superficial (or avoid getting to know them at all)?

Every time you pick up a salt & pepper shaker today, pause a moment and ask God to help you be “seasoning” for his glory.

Imagine a gourmet cake with no sugar. Be sensitive to those around you today who may appear ok but are desperately missing something inside.

When was the last time your words came across like a habanero pepper and burned someone’s feelings? Pray about how to make it right today.

In my house, everyone loves cooking shows – perhaps not as much as watching Phineas & Ferb, but as an alternative to building a rocket ship in the backyard, TV food competitions are a reasonable second place.

Besides the obvious no-nos of preparing under/over-cooked food or failure to use a mandatory ingredient, one of the biggest make-or-break factors in cooking shows is seasoning. If the dish is overpowering, the judges won’t like it. If it’s bland, you’re a goner. Finding the right balance of savory and sweet spices can help transform a random assortment of foods that don’t seem to go together into a gourmet dish that the judges rave about.

The Bible has a few things to say about seasoning – and salt, in particular. In the same passage where Jesus told his followers that they were “the light of the world” to illuminate the way to the Lord, he also said that they were “the salt of the earth” (Matthew 5). I love the way The Message paraphrase explains what Jesus meant: “You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth” (v. 13a).

Don’t we all know people who wander through life blandly, with no apparent purpose and no recognition of God’s awesomeness? We can be the salt that adds zing to their lives! By introducing them to Christ through a savory balance of our words and actions, then they can come to know the sweetness of being in a relationship with the Lord.

Paul explained this life-seasoning another way in his letter to the Colossians. He said that when we interact with outsiders/unbelievers, we should be mindful of opportunities to share our faith: “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” (4:6, NIV).

What are your conversations like these days? Are they too spicy and abrasive? So sweet that they mask what’s inside? Let’s focus our prayer time this week on being “salt” to the world around us.

Do you have a big dream? (Or, on the flipside, do you feel uncertain about your life?) Brainstorm with God in prayer about it today.

Psalm 89:14 says that “love and faithfulness” go before the Lord. In what ways does your reputation precede you?