Going Against the Flow

Matthew 5:13-16 (NIV)
"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 by men. "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 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. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”

            Who really wants to stand out in our world? We talk about being our own person and not giving in to the influences around us, but at the end of the day we do exactly that. After all, as the rather sarcastic saying goes, the nail that sticks its head above all the others gets hammered.

            In the 60’s and 70’s young people wanted to break away from the norm of their parents. They called themselves counter-cultural and non-conformists. Yet they just substituted one form of conformity for another. Few of that generation were truly individuals and unique. The majority were just going with the flow in order to fit in with their peers.

            I know how difficult it is to truly live life against the flow. By nature I am a compliant. I desire to be liked and fit in so I will conform to the norms around me. This natural tendency has caused conflict within me because I am a follower of Jesus Christ and Jesus has called me to go against the flow.

            In Matthew 5:13-16 Jesus calls us to be salt and light in our world. He calls us to stand in contrast to the world’s values and norms. He calls us to go against the flow. For some this very exciting and for others it is very frightening. For all of us it is very challenging.

            Jesus doesn’t call is to live counter-cultural lives just for the sake of being different or for the purpose of rebellion. Jesus calls us to be different for the purpose of transforming our world. God designed us to live in a positive relationship with Him and with one another. Because of sin our world is headed in the opposite direction. Jesus is calling us to be agents of change to restore what was lost.

            Salt has many purposes. Chief among them are two; salt adds flavor and it preserves. When Jesus says that we are the salt of the earth he is implying at least these two things. We are to act as a preservative slowing the decay of sin. We should live in such a way that sin and evil is diminished in our world. We do this primarily by genuinely loving God and loving people. When we live out the love of God in our world we will stand out against the flow.

            Light serves many purposes as well. There are at least three that apply to what Jesus is telling us. Light guides. Jesus said that we are to be a light on a hill where everyone can see us. When everything around you is in darkness the appearance of light gives you hope and shows you where to go. We are to be that light in our spiritually dark world showing people the path to Christ. Light also illuminates. We are to expose the truth about sin and reveal the good news of the gospel. Light helps things to grow. Few things in our world grow without light. If we are going to grow as people we need to light of God in our lives. Without it we are stunted in our growth.

            To be a follower of Jesus is to go against the flow. All of the pressure is for us to conform to the world’s values. We need to courage to stand firm in the truth and not give in. We can expect to be buffeted around in the process. We can be expected to be misunderstood and even ridiculed for our stand. But in the end we will be rewarded by the only person that really matter, Jesus Christ.

Romans 12:2 (NIV)
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Galatians 6:9 (NIV)
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.