Be Worth Your Salt

Be Worth Your Salt

They used to pay Roman soldiers in salt. If you were doing your job, pulling your weight, or standing your ground you earned your paycheck. That’s where the phrase “worth your salt” comes from. Salt was valuable because salt was needed because it nourished and preserved then and it still does today.

We don’t use salt as currency anymore, but the principle still holds. You either show up with something real to offer, something to build up those around you, to support the greater good, or you don’t.

And in a world that’s obsessed with self over others, image over integrity, noise over wisdom, and comfort over character… it’s getting harder and harder to find folks who are truly worth their salt.

Being worth your salt means doing the work even when it’s thankless. Showing up when no one’s watching, fixing what you broke, admitting when you were wrong, speaking truth when it’s not popular opinion, keeping your word, and living each day with intention and seeking moments that you can lift others up.

It’s not cute, or curated… It’s real. And real is rare these days. Maybe that’s why society seems crazy… it’s lacking the salt it needs to keep it functioning properly.

That’s something the ranch will teach you right quick… salt isn’t just poetic. It’s practical.

Walk through any barn of mine and you’ll see it: plain white salt blocks, loose minerals, salt tubs tucked into corners, salt rocks tied in stalls. Not because it looks good or because it’s trendy. But because without it, horses can’t function right.

They can have the best hay money can buy… Fancy grain… Perfect pasture... Pinterest worthy stalls. But if they’re missing salt and minerals? They falter.

Low energy, poor hydration, tight muscles, cranky attitudes, slow recovery. Nothing catastrophic at first… just quiet decline. Little deficiencies that add up.

Salt regulates everything… hydration, nerves, muscle function, appetite. It keeps the system balanced. It keeps the body working the way it was designed to. It’s simple. It’s basic. But it’s essential. And isn’t that just like character?

The flashy stuff gets attention. The supplements, the shiny tack, the highlight reels. But it’s the plain, unglamorous, foundational things that actually keep a life healthy. Integrity. Discipline. Faithfulness. Showing up. The “salt” stuff. Not exciting but absolutely necessary.

And here’s the twist, darlin’… this isn’t just about horses or being a solid human.

Jesus had something to say about salt too:

“You are the salt of the earth… You are the light of the world.”

(Matthew 5:13–14)

He wasn’t talking about seasoning your fries or looking good on social media. He was talking about purpose. About presence. About being the kind of person that keeps things from rotting.

Salt preserves. Salt hydrates. Salt strengthens. Salt keeps living things from breaking down. Light chases out the dark. And you were called to do both… in the dark, when no one’s watching or posting about it. You don’t need a platform. You don’t need a spotlight… you ARE the light and your presence chases away the darkness.

You just need to show up and live like the Kingdom is real… because it is. Live like the love of Christ actually changed something in you, because it did.

Be the steady one… The honest one... The dependable one... The one people and horses alike feel safe around. The kind of person who brings balance back into the room instead of chaos.

That’s what makes you salty in the best way. That’s what makes you shine. So, if no one’s told you lately: you’re not here to blend in. You’re here to stand out. To season the situation not with pride, but with purpose.

You were made to carry weight. To flavor the world with something eternal. To preserve what’s good. To point toward what’s holy. To be worth your salt.

And if you’re not quite there yet? That’s alright. Start becoming her. There’s grace for the process… but don’t mistake grace for passivity. Yes you have time but you need to work at it.

God doesn’t call the perfect. He calls the willing. So be willing. Be real. Be steady. Be salty.

The world, and everything depending on you, needs it.