Have you ever tried to do good simply by being nice to people, only to find out it wasn't working? Okay, great. I'm not the only one.  

Most of us struggle a bit with the truth: that being sweet isn't the same thing as being loving. They aren't interchangeable, but our girls may have a difficult time understanding that. They think that because they made someone feel better in a moment of sadness, they’re loving their neighbor as themselves. It’s not that there’s anything wrong with being sweet or trying to cheer someone up. It’s just that, as dealers of truth, we are called to do more than a surface-level cleanup.

Take some time this week to help your girl understand the importance of her words and the difference between them being sweet and seasoned with salt. Here are three ideas to help you guide the conversation: 

1. Being sweet isn't the same thing as being loving.

Talk to your girl. Tell her the truth: sometimes we can pull away with a sweet word to a friend, right as we're supposed to be engaging her. We might offer her something nice–perhaps a compliment–so she doesn’t dwell on whatever it is that's making her sad. But is that just making us feel better and her more disconnected? 

2. Jesus called us to be salt, not sugar. 

It’s great to be a sweet girl, but that can’t be the extent of how we live out the truth.  We’re not just supposed to be nice to people.  We’re supposed to invest in them. 

Jesus called us to be salt, not sugar in Matthew 5. We aren’t just called to wipe away tears. We’re called to point people to the One who will wipe every tear from every eye.

Encourage each other to use words that align with the truth of His words.

3. She can be a dealer of preservation, of healing, and of grace. 

All around us, this world is decaying. Darkness tries to swallow up our neighborhoods, our schools, our places of business, and our people. But one of the main properties of salt is that it’s a preservative. It keeps things from decaying.

As the salt of the earth, she has this ability too. She can step into this world, His good creation, and do her part to keep it from decaying into darkness.

Historically, salt has also been used for treating wounds and to prevent the spread of infection. The wounded and the hurting are all around us, and she has been called to heal. All she needs to do is point the hurting back to Him. 

Mama, you can help her avoid falling into the trap of choosing sweet over salt.  

Being sweet only requires a small bit of us to be able to help someone feel better in the moment. But your girl is made for more.

When she stops and considers all He has done for her, she'll get both the desire and the courage to go all in.

That’s what being salty is all about.

Have an awesome day!

If this post struck a chord with you, I want you to know I'm working on a solution to help you grow deeper in your relationship with your daughter and equip her with the skills she needs to manage herself and her relationships well.

If you're looking for mentorship that includes practical tools and strategies, you’ll want to check out my FREE video series, 3 Keys To Unlocking Her True Potential. These topics changed my approach to motherhood, marriage, business, and life forever...