Over the years that I have worked as a painting contractor I have used a lot of masking tape. On a busy week like this one I can use over 30 rolls! Once in a while I will get a roll of tape that will not stick to anything. For some reason it has “lost it’s stickiness”. Although I guess I could use it as a doorstop or a paperweight…It’s only useful to me if it’s “sticky”. There are few things more worthless than a roll of “unsticky” tape! After very few attempts to use it I end up flinging it into the nearest trash can.

I thought about that “unsticky” tape as I read this passage this morning:

13 “You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it useful again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless. 14 You are the light of the world � like a city on a mountain, glowing in the night for all to see. 15 Don’t hide your light under a basket! Instead, put it on a stand and let it shine for all. 16 In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father. Mathew 5:13-16

Jesus says our role(s) as his followers is to be “salt and light”. Our purpose for being in our communities is to “let our good deeds shine out for all to see so that every one will praise Him!”… Have you ever tried to bargain away your responsibilities to be “salt and light”? I have. I’ve tried to trade going to church every week (sometimes two!) for being “salt and light”. I’ve tried to trade knowing lots of scripture for being “salt and light”. Others think that perhaps giving to the church exempts us from being “salt and light”. Maybe if we just volunteer enough at our church Jesus will “let up” on his command for us to be his light in our neighborhood…

In the end…nothing we can do can remove our responsibility to “let our good deeds shine” at work, in our neighborhood, at our schools, and with our friends. Jesus has called us to be “useful” to his kingdom effort. Otherwise we become “unsticky tape” and “unsalty salt” ..both are pretty useless.

Masking tape tips: 1. Buy blue “professional painters tape” only when you will be leaving it on over night or longer. (It’s less “sticky” and actually doesn’t work as well as regular white masking tape…It just is better to remove on longer jobs.) 2. Remove your masking tape while the paint is still wet! This eliminates paint chipping and tearing. 3. Masking tape has a “shelf life” if you have some that has been laying around the garage for years…do yourself a favor, buy new before masking something. I hope these tips are “useful” if you need to mask and paint something around the house. I’m embarrassed I know so much about masking tape….