Have you ever heard someone use the old adage, “He is not worth his salt?”

We say these things to indicate we don’t think the person we refer to is worthy of their position in the workforce or that they are just plain lazy and unproductive.

This term evolved in ancient Rome. Salt was a valuable commodity, and sometimes soldiers were paid with salt. This is where the word salary came from. Much like today, if we don’t perform, we may lose positions or raises. The soldiers who didn’t perform satisfactorily weren’t “worth their salt.”

Today, we still use the term “worthy” to mean we earned something. Because of our secular use of this word, we also have these meanings embedded in our minds regarding spiritual matters. But living worthy of the Lord doesn’t mean we earn His favor.

Our service should reflect the character of our heavenly Father. We need to be aware that we don’t make our responsibilities an idol or start to think of them as a way to earn His grace. We are saved only by the faith we place in Christ’s finished work.

Paul told the Colossians, “For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God.” (Colossians 1:9-10 NIV)

The word worthy in these Scriptures was translated from the Greek word Axios, which means appropriately, as becomes after a godly sort; deserving, comparable, suitable, as if drawing praise.

This way, we see that being worthy doesn’t mean we must earn our standing with God. Our salvation is a gift because of Jesus’ sacrifice. We accept this blessing by faith. Because of His love and grace, we want to act in a way that follows the Lord’s standards and positively affects His kingdom.

Paul indicated to the Ephesians the same thing he told the Colossians when he said, “As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.” (Ephesians 4:1)

And to the Thessalonians, he said, “Encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.” (1 Thessalonians 2:12)

Paul’s life showed the world who Jesus was. This apostle’s life displayed the difference between holy and fleshly living. Because of his dedication to Christ, Paul could confidently tell others to “follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1-2).

In the Colossians Scriptures mentioned above, we find five ways to fulfill Paul’s goal of living a life worthy of the Lord.

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