Careless Talk

Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.

Colossians 4:6

Have you noticed the similarities between the New Testament letters of Ephesians and Colossians? Many verses in Colossians have a parallel in Ephesians. For example, notice how Colossians 4:6 corresponds with Ephesians 4:29, which says: “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it might impart grace to the hearers.”

Our words shouldn’t be “salty,” but seasoned with salt—tasteful and appropriate, useful for helping others and building them up.

The Chinese Christian leader Watchman Nee devoted a chapter in his book The Normal Christian Worker to this subject. He wrote, “Because of unrestrained speech, the usefulness of many Christian workers is seriously curtailed. Instead of being powerful instruments in the Lord’s service, their ministry makes little impact on account of the constant leakage of power through their careless talk.”

If you’re in need of wiser, more gracious, salt-seasoned speech, here’s a prayer for you: “Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips” (Psalm 141:3).