What is Bible Salt Life?
Encouraging and equipping brothers and sisters in Christ to run the race of life well.
Every day, pastors worldwide shepherd the flock that the Lord has entrusted to them, providing instruction from the Word of God. They teach believers about spiritual issues, finances, work, relationships, social problems, and more. However, one topic that most churches won’t touch is physical health. This reluctance isn’t because the Bible doesn’t speak about health—it does so in many passages. Health is fundamental to our life on earth, so our Lord did not neglect it in His Word. God recognizes the importance of health, so we endeavor to fill the gap in the teaching of most churches by sharing His health wisdom with our fellow believers. The goal is not mere vanity or longevity but for us to be best equipped and prepared to live out the purposes of God in the world. We desire to use all aspects of our lives, including our strength, energy, and health, to advance the Kingdom of God.
Healing with simplicity
Bible Salt Life was started by David Huie and Saifon Chang. Saifon struggled with chronic health issues for most of her life, and in her search for good health, she tried many conventional and alternative treatments. She learned a tremendous amount about the body and how it works. However, nothing worked until she truly learned about salt. The idea of salt might seem simplistic, but we’re talking about salt in its natural form. Think of pink rock salt that’s probably at your local health food store rather than the refined white powder that sits on the tables at your local diner. Natural salt, otherwise known as whole salt, is a simple, flavorful substance that contains the most essential minerals for our bodies to function. Most of us have heard repeated warnings about salt for many years, but the truth about salt is very different. In reality, most of us are more at risk of having too little salt than too much. The effects of this deficit can be disastrous.
Putting knowledge to work
Saifon used her knowledge and experience to start a restaurant in Orange County, California, which she owned and operated for over seven years before selling it to focus on health ministry. During that time, she also began offering health consultations and products under The Healing Chef brand. She enjoyed sharing food and knowledge to help others regain their health and strength. However, as a Christian, she noticed that health problems appeared to be no less prevalent in the Church than in the world. Since Christians ostensibly believe they have a mission of the utmost importance, she would have assumed they would be more likely to protect their health. On the contrary, the health of the average churchgoer might be even worse than those outside the church, and nobody seems to be doing anything about it. Even worse, in a culture saturated by hedonism including endless junk food and a complete lack of discipline, many churches use junk food to bolster attendance. In doing so, they miss an opportunity to support Christians who are struggling with health issues or striving to stay strong and healthy.
Fit for a purpose
Imagine going to a dinner party and meeting an athlete who says that the most important race of their life is tomorrow. However, as the night drags on, you see them binge-eating junk food, drinking large amounts of alcohol and becoming drunk, and staying up late. What would you think of their commitment? Would you believe the race-winning prize was their priority? Imagine then meeting a soldier who tells you that he will be deployed on an extremely important mission in the morning. However, like the athlete, you see him stay up late, drink heavily, and binge-eat to the point he becomes sick. Would you believe the mission is truly important to him? Probably not. Actions speak far louder than words. Neither the race nor the mission was important enough for them to prepare properly. If they genuinely cared, they would do everything possible to be ready. It wouldn’t make sense otherwise. Christians also have a mission of critical importance, even eternal implications. However, for many of us, our preparedness for our task raises serious questions about what we truly treasure.
In the book of Hebrews, the writer compares the Christian life to a race. The race is long and grueling, requiring sacrifice and commitment to finish well. We must cast off anything that is not helpful. A focused mindset is vital for success, and in the next verse of Hebrews, the writer tells us the best place to focus our gaze: Jesus. Jesus is the prize, our reward, and He is worthy of all sacrifice. As we run the race of life, we look to Christ the whole way, gladly giving up what does not help us in our mission. We should not get bogged down in legalism, but we are careful not to prioritize our desires over things that honor the Lord. We must always keep moving forward toward the prize, our Lord Jesus. Of course, we understand this is a metaphor, and the emphasis is not on our physical being. It is rightly taught that the spiritual implication should be the primary takeaway. However, that doesn’t mean our body isn’t important—it is! While the Word makes it clear that our fallen, earthly body is temporary, it is also described as “the temple of the Holy Spirit” (1 Corinthians 6:19), and we are continually instructed to subjugate the body and its desires. Why is this so important? Because the body (and our physical life) is intended to support our spiritual life. It is a tool, and aside from the Bible, it is perhaps the most critical tool to support our souls in the race of life.
Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness.
Romans 6:13 ESV
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.
1 Corinthians 9:24-27 ESV
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
Romans 12:1 ESV
Temple of the Holy Spirit
The race metaphor breaks down if we cannot run. Moving forward toward the prize of Christ becomes immeasurably more difficult if we struggle with pain and sickness. Yes, there are rare occasions where someone does great things for the Kingdom while enduring physical hardships, but those are the exceptions. Most of the time, our potential to be effective is greater when we are strong and healthy. Of course, much of our physical circumstances are beyond our control, lying in God’s hands. However, within His amazing design, God gave us the opportunity and the responsibility to care for our bodies. We eat, drink, sleep, bathe, and exercise to keep our bodies functioning. How we do those things can greatly impact our health. With the ability to make choices, the Lord provided the opportunity to acknowledge His design, honor Him, and give our bodies the best chance to thrive. Take care of our bodies so we can run the race well, advance the Kingdom, and honor the Lord. This is the Bible Salt Life.
So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
1 Corinthians 10:31
