Seasoned with Salt
Today’s Verse:
Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man. ~Colossians 4:6
Do you like food that is bland and tasteless? If you are like me, you probably like your food seasoned with salt. Salt gives food just the right taste! It takes something ordinary and gives it just that right balance to make it palatable and delicious. Paul uses the metaphor of salt to help us understand the importance of saying the right thing. In Colossians 4:2-6, let us see how careful and appropriate our words should be.
We are called upon to have words that are lasting.
“Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.” Lasting words are words that people remember. There are good things we can say that encourage people. There are hurtful things we can say that can leave wounds. Either way, they are words that are lasting. Paul exhorts us to always have grace in our speech that is seasoned with salt. It important that we are not prone to speak off of the top of our heads, be opinionated, or come across as being negative. Speech that is seasoned with salt are words fitly spoken as apples of gold in pictures of silver. It is always better to think about how to say something than to be spontaneous. Lasting words go a long way in nurturing healthy relationships.
We are called upon to have words to the Lord.
“Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving.” Our words to the Lord are our prayers, intercessions, and supplications with thanksgiving. First, praying should be our highest priority. Did you spend time talking with the Lord today? Second, praying should be persistent. We are to continue in prayer. This is praying without ceasing. It means we should be in a constant state of praying. Third, our praying should be prevailing. Our goal in praying is for God to get a hold of us and for us to get a hold of God. Prevailing prayer is God doing the impossible on our behalf. We should remember that we can never pray too much. We should remember that there are always more things to pray about.
We are called upon to have words for the lost.
“Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds: That I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.” These verses teach us that we must pray for the lost to be saved. We should pray for boldness to speak about the Lord to the lost people we are with at work, at school, at social events, and elsewhere. We should pray for a door of utterance. This means the right moment to witness. Our praying should seek to make the gospel known and available to everyone we are in contact with.
Proverbs 18:21 tells us that “death and life are in the power of the tongue.” Speech seasoned with salt is life-giving. It is words that build up and do not tear down. It is words that are graceful and grievous. Are your words seasoned with salt? Let us meditate on Paul’s words regarding our speech, and let the Lord help us major on saying the right things to the people in our life.
Have a pleasing God Morning!
Bible Reading Schedule: Jeremiah 10-13