Seasoned Words

Colossians 4:2-6

Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. (Colossians 4:6, NIV)

READ THE COMMENTS AT the end of news articles, on Facebook posts, and in blogs—if you dare. You’ll find that regardless of the topic, they often descend quickly into tangential arguments and vicious name-calling. We might suspect that the abrasive words come only from those who make no claim to follow Jesus, but that simply isn’t true. Self-professed Christians are at times among the worst offenders. Far too easily, we speak and write words that are seasoned with poison.

This is especially true on social media, where no one needs a real face or name to participate, but it also happens in live conversations too. Sometimes Christians get sucked into a toxic environment, and other times we create it. Instead of changing the atmosphere with the Spirit of Christ, we accommodate it in a spirit of contentiousness. We miss an enormous opportunity to season our surroundings with grace.

Open your eyes to the opportunities all around you to impart the peace and patience of God. That doesn’t mean you need to load up your conversations with sugar and nauseate people with your sweetness. It does, however, mean that if you season your words with the right amount of salt—if you choose the right words and avoid the wrong ones, calmly speaking grace and understanding into others’ lives—you give every conversation a more beautiful and enjoyable flavor. Be strong enough to endure hostility; be mature enough to hold your tongue; and be wise enough to defuse volatile situations with well-chosen words. God’s Kingdom is full of lively conversation but never of demeaning or biting commentary. He is interested in winning hearts, not arguments. He knows how to make a point without injuring, and he wants us to do the same. Bless and do not curse (Romans 12:14); build up and do not tear down; encourage and comfort wherever you can. Give people a taste of the Kingdom through your words.

{Father, your words are powerful, and you’ve given us a taste of the same power. Forgive me for every careless word I’ve spoken, and use my tongue to strengthen and build. May my words always reflect your heart. Amen.