Do I Taste Good?

12 Mar Do I Taste Good?

Last week I made what I thought was a good looking jollof rice for my boys. For those who do not know, jollof rice is a special Nigerian one pot rice dish made with tomatoes essentially. I discovered they were not eating with the usual excitement. I thought perhaps because they had just finished having fries… but when I asked, they replied;
“It tastes somehow!”
“It just tastes like a rice and oil mixture!”
“It tastes bland!”
“I wish I could have added salt!”
Our first son loves to learn about food and cook too. He knew more about food than the rest and it was he who spoke last. He hit the nail on the head; I didn’t add salt!
You see, I was cooking this ‘special’ jollof rice in a rush sensing that the fries were a little less than their regular portion and they would soon chime about how they were not full, and I wanted to not let that happen. So I tossed everything together but left out the salt.
The rice looked good quite all right but it wasn’t pleasant to the taste. I had added quite some other seasonings but left out the one major one; salt.
I coaxed them into not adding raw salt as it was unhealthy. They cooperated with me and ate the rice all up in more out of obedience than enjoyment as I apologized for my mistake.

Who forgets to add salt while cooking! Click To Tweet

When I went up to have my bath later in the evening I heard from my inside… “That’s how you taste when you do not let out the salt in you.”
Who wants to taste me? Am I food? I thought about this the whole time I was in the shower and while I dressed up. As I thought harder and harder about this, some things came to mind. I thought to share those thoughts with you.

The first thing that came to my mind was what I guess is the most popular Bible verse about salt and seasoning;
Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Matthew 5:13

1. I Am Salt
   I have always known this scripture even before I got saved. After I got saved I have read it severally and heard it being preached time and again. But right then I felt like I am about to know this verse in a particularly life changing manner.
   Salt can be used for diverse purposes, but God wanted me to focus on my flavour, my taste. As salt, I am supposed to add flavour and taste to my environment, the people I meet and the people in my life. I need to know; Do I taste nice, or bland, or even horrible?
2. God-flavours
   In trying to understand this verse a bit more, I went to simpler english translations and got glued to The Message Translation;
   Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavours of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You’ve lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage.
   Matthew 5:13 MSGSo, I asked myself; what are God-flavours? The first word that came to my mind was grace.
   In His introduction of Jesus by Apostle John, He described Jesus as full of grace and truth;
   And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14 NKJVAnd throughout His walk on earth. Jesus acted with grace towards men. He reflected The Father in likeness and actions. This is what I consider God-flavours. Revealing God’s grace to our world in our words and actions.

   Other words for grace according to this Bible verse in John is kindness and pleasant. It could also mean; Courteous, benevolent, compassionate, merciful.
   It means living a life that is pleasing to The Father, a life that speaks of God’s grace.

3. Without God-flavours Coming Out Of Me, I Cannot Be His Witness
   Can flavourless food be eaten without salt? Or is there any taste in the white of an egg? Job 6:6 NKJV
   People ‘listen’ more to what you do than what you say. If my life is not releasing God-flavours I cannot be an effective witness for Christ. Yes He has given me the power to be His witness according to Acts 1:8 But if I live a life that is not bringing out God-flavours, I will hinder that power from working through me. Hmmm…Don’t people complain about unsalted food? Does anyone want the tasteless white of an egg? Job 6:6 NLT

   A life without God-flavours will be repelling. In order to share Christ with anyone, there must be an attraction in us that would make them want to listen; grace, God-flavour. If people are constantly complaining that we ‘taste bad’ or ‘lack flavour’ How then are we going to be able to tell them about Jesus. How are they going to listen to us when they do not see The Jesus we claim to be in us?
   We were saved so God can use us to reach out to others. 2 Corinthians 5:18 states it clearly;
   And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him.
   Don’t people complain about unsalted food? Click To Tweet
   In order to fulfil this task, we must be the salt that God has called us to be. We must live lives full of grace and truth, a life that pours out God-flavours to the world, lives that taste good.
   We must be people with strong godly character because God expects it and our profession causes the world to expect it too.

4. Without God-flavours, I Am Good For Nothing
   …but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Matthew 5:13If I had not pleaded with our boys to eat the rice, it most likely would have gone into the bin because we avoid adding salt while out of heat. The same way, if I do not allow the virtues of grace in me to flavour the world, I lose my savour. I am good for nothing but to be trodden down under the foot of men. This is quite alarming isn’t it.
   This will not be your story or mine in Jesus name. Amen.

In Conclusion
I have learnt quite a lot from that one incidence and I am glad God spoke the words He did to me raising my curiosity and leading me to ask questions. I will continue to make great efforts not to taste bad in this world.

I will not be like the jollof rice I made for my children. Click To Tweet

I will make the efforts to add flavour to everyone; my husband, children, extended family, friends, acquaintances, church family, strangers… everyone I meet and everyone who meets me. So help me God!

Do you know how you taste?
Will your work at bringing out God-flavours on the earth?

Copyright© Ugochi Oritsejolomisan 2017
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