Pastor Doug
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving; Colossians 4:2 Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man. Colossians 4:5-6
In ancient times, salt was a valuable trade item. The price of salt was so high during the Middle Ages that people sometimes called it “white gold.” Up until the 1900s, people in Ethiopia used one-pound bars of salt as currency. Jesus said, “You are the salt of the earth” (Matthew 5:13). What did He mean by this metaphor? Well, salt is a seasoning.
Jesus’ disciples are meant to add a flavor of godliness to the world. Salt is also a preservative. By living pure lives and influencing those around them, true disciples of Christ help to preserve the world from moral decay. In Paul’s writings to the early Christians, he urged them to “walk in wisdom toward those who are outside” so they might have a positive influence on those around them—so they might be good witnesses for Christ (Colossians 4:5).
He also emphasized the importance of a believer’s speech toward unbelievers. Words can help or hurt. They can build others up or tear them down. Paul advised, “Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one” (Colossians 4:6).
Speaking with grace involves kindness, compassion, and a forgiving spirit in our communication with another person. Seasoning our conversation with salt can mean using Christian tact, comforting and encouraging someone who is hurting, and flavoring our words so that the other person might be prompted to consider spiritual truth or learn more about God.
By Pastor Doug, Amazing Facts
