Colossians 4: Seasoned Speech

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

◇ Once, I asked a German friend, "Why do you eat so salty?" The friend gave an unexpected answer, "Salty food is delicious." Although I didn't agree that salty food is delicious, I completely agree that food without salt has no taste.

Paul tells us to speak as if seasoning our words with salt. To bring out the flavor, we must add the right amount of salt. If we add too much, it becomes too salty, and if we add too little, it becomes bland and doesn't taste right. That's why we must always be careful when adding salt.

We must be even more careful and prudent when speaking than when adding salt. While salt can ruin food, words can ruin our lives. James 3:5 says, "Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark." James warns that our tiny tongue among our body parts can bring great disaster, like a fire that burns an entire forest. This is a vivid example of how cautious we must be with our words. A single word can pay off a huge debt, but it can also be a disaster or an enormous blessing, even saving a life.

Paul advises us to speak with grace. How joyful and grateful are we when we receive grace from someone? What would our facial expressions be like at such joyful and grateful moments? Wouldn't our words be filled with laughter and vitality? Such words, spoken in the midst of grace and gratitude, are life-giving, blessed words, like flavorful salt.

◇ Lord, today, please help the words that come from my mouth to give life! Let me open my mouth in the midst of grace and gratitude! Holy Spirit, lead me in truth!