Today’s Devotion
Topic: Salt-seasoned Words
Text: Colossians 4:6
Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. Amen.
Many of us Christians, are likely to resist several temptations to compromise our faith except in the area of speech. We often get carried away in conversations with friends till we say anything to everyone in every way without thought of what the Bible says.
It is when we are alone, and play back the events of the day and the things we said, that we sometimes notice how overboard we went. But by this time, the compromise has been already made.
The challenge here is that, we live, work and interact with people from different faiths and social orientations who may not necessarily have any restrictions when it comes to speech.
These people often say anything to everyone. From filthy language to profane utterances; insults to curses; boasts to flattery; coarse jokes to provocative expressions.
By the time you finish chatting with them, you feel spiritually drained, lustful, aggressive, angry, discouraged, disoriented, ready to sin like they do, fight someone they hate or quit something good you started out to do. Honestly, they may keep at this behaviour the whole time you know them because their conscience is seared.
However, we are not permitted to speak about everything in anyway. Ephesians 4: 29 says, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” We are children of light and our words must be seasoned with salt to bring taste to life and preserve those who hear us.
So by all means speak, say something; but watch what you say, with whom you converse, and how you answer those who engage you. Be slow to speak and quick to listen so each word that proceeds remains relevant to the discussion to edify your listener.
In times when we feel a comment passed to you was not fair, just remember that “a gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger” (Proverbs 15:1).
Never forget that you are the words you speak. At a gathering, no one can exactly tell who you are till you have spoken. What you say is who they will receive you to be “for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh” (Luke 6: 45).
Make a decision not only to tame your tongue but also to watch those you discuss with and on what. Ask the Lord for the grace to keep this discipline. For as you preserved your words, you were preserving your soul.
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