Being the Salt

When you make bread, and actually look at all the ingredients-flour has the largest quantity and salt has the smallest. But, if one were to forget the salt, the bread would absolutely be ruined. It would taste horrible. Even if you just miscalculated by a pinch-the bread would be trash worthy.
In Genesis, Abraham tested God by asking Him to spare the whole city of Sodom if there were just 50, then 45, then 40, then 30, all the way down to 10 righteous people. Each time, God agreed to spare the city. Now, the way I understand it, is that there weren't the 10 commandments, there wasn't Law, people just "did good" based on their heart's conscience-they were considered "righteous" even if they feared God, just a little. THere weren't these major religious people. So for God to spare just 10 righteous, these 10 people didn't have to be holy rollers, not even a little.
Personally, this speaks massively to my heart in two ways... God is not out to get even, or to prove points, or to quickly go after the sinners. Peter even calls God patient in hopes His people repent and follow Him. And number 2, He was willing to save a whole city of the worst sinners in the world (Sodom was the bottom of the bottom of heartless people) for 10 righteous hearts. Just their presence in that city made a difference in God's decision. Now unfortunately, there weren't 10 righteous-but if there were, it would be enough in God's eyes to spare ALL of them.
Just when you think you aren't "doing" enough...just when you think you aren't making a difference...just your presence is enough in God's eyes. We don't have to go and beat the Bible over people's heads, or drag them to church on OUR TIME-just spending time with them, listening, hearing their hearts is enough to God. I think so much of the time we focus on church being the only place God can work, so we serve until we're burned out which leads us to the point we are seperated from the rest of the world-because all we are doing in keeping ourselves inside the church walls....there's this huge bowl of salt inside the church-and no pinches of salt in the streets....i never realized this until my brother said he didn't think I cared about him because all i did was spend my whole weekend at the church. i never shoved anything down his throat-but just my absense in his life was enough for him to think that-what a horrible witness i was being...to my own family. it wasn't until Gary and I started investing out time into their hearts-just being there with them.....same thing with my co-workers...and I didn't have to do anything-it was just a pinch.
But all He needs is a pinch to create opportunity...with your family, your spouse, your co-workers....that's enough for Him.