Last week, I wrote about Jesus’ command for us to be salt, to add flavor as witnesses for him. Salt makes a difference. So should we. Unfortunately, too many Christians fail to recognize the need to make a difference in others’ lives. We are spoiled, we are selfish, and we fail to impact others the way that salt impacts food.

Adam, our son, recently traveled to Nigeria with some of his E3 Foundation team to look for ways to help with the Christian murders taking place in that country. His group had an opportunity to speak with 25 widowed women living in a refugee camp whose husbands recently were killed by an evil terrorist group determined to wipe out those who disagree with them.

Adam shared that the widows’ faith was remarkable. They trust that God works all things for good and for His glory, and He is the One they want to honor. Their husbands had been buried in a mass grave, they were left to parent their children alone and with no income, yet they chose to live out their love for God in a way everyone could see. They are salt, even though they are targeted to be killed.

Of the 4,849 Christians murdered for their faith worldwide, 3,490 were in Nigeria, according to “Open Doors’ World Watch List 2026”, yet overall, over 56,000 Nigerian civilians have been killed. The armed murderers, Fulani Muslims, enter villages with the sole intent to slaughter anyone who disagrees with them (largely, undefended, Christian farmers). The murderers have raped and abducted hundreds of victims, including children.

Nigerian churches abound (one boasts a seating capacity of over 100,000 people), yet with no guns for self-defense, they cannot physically defend themselves. Nevertheless, they do what they can to be salt. They create a thirst for the truth of scripture by offering hope to these villagers to help them live out their faith in a meaningful way.

Christians are called to be a preserving influence in society, helping to maintain moral and ethical standards and resisting corruption and decay. How do you show your saltiness? Do you recognize that your only purpose on this earth is to improve others’ lives? How do you flavor a conversation? An action? Are you an encourager? Fun? Adventurous? If you choose to keep to yourself and not spread your salt to others, you are missing an opportunity to fulfill your purpose, to make a difference.

We must engage with the world around us, to bring out the best in others. Like those Nigerian widows, we need to create spiritual thirst in others by living in such a way that others are drawn to the hope and joy they see in us. Let’s pray for God’s help in removing anything from our lives that diminishes our saltiness.