given by Christ! That forgiveness now empowers us to serve others. We are salted to serve. This means we are now called to witness to others about the saving work of Christ.
We are missionaries who bear witness to Christ. We declare to others, “This is the Son of God! He died and rose again for you. There is hope in Christ. There is salvation. There is someone who loves you with an eternal love. There is a Good Shepherd who wants to restore your soul and lead you beside the quiet waters.
We bear witness to our Savior. We reach out to others with the good news of what Christ has done for us. He rescues us from the fires of hell and brings us into his kingdom of grace. The Lord delivers us so that we can now be his people. We are his redeemed children. We are his missionaries. We are salted to serve.
And we are not only missionaries of the Word, but we are also missionaries of mercy. We care for others who are hurting. We seek to help others. We show mercy and compassion. This means we serve the Lord by serving others.
In a practical way, we are called to show mercy wherever God has placed us in life. We show mercy to our families, marriages and households. We show the love of Christ in our workplace and in our local communities. We become active and involved in whatever way we can to help somebody who is going through hardship and difficulties.
We reach out to the hungry, the poor, and the needy. We care for the sick and dying. We help our friends who are grieving and dealing with the loss of a loved one. We visit the elderly and homebound. We pray for those who need God’s help and God’s peace.
There are so many ways to love and serve others. There are so many ways for us to bear witness to our Savior. We can share with others that peace of God which passes all understanding. By God’s grace, we are missionaries of the Word and also missionaries of mercy. Therefore, let us all work together to share God’s love and to proclaim God’s Word. As Jesus says, “Salt is good. Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.” Amen!