"Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone" - Col 4:6 (NIV).
It is almost impossible to imagine life ever existing without a tiny ingredient called salt. Salt, which is a compound made of sodium and chloride is almost essential to life as is fire. Wars through history have been fought just to get hold of salt or free passage up to salt lakes for mining.
One of the chief uses of salt is to help with food preservation and seasoning. Food without salt is quite tasteless. Everyone knows a little sprinkle of table salt makes any dish worth savouring.
Much as with salt, human interaction is also near impossible to imagine without speech. Through speech we are are able to communicate our thoughts which lead to intelligible action. Of course humans can communicate also through sign language, but that is more by default. There is power of life through spoken words, which give life an edge. Children as they grow up are egged on with words like "stand up" or "walk here", which quickly become part of their vocabulary.
Unfortunately in every language not every word is uplifting. While we always find in every language words that are uplifting- like "well done"; yet there are also those which are depressing- like " you are hopeless"!
The Apostle Paul writing to the believers in Colossia urged them that whenever communicating to make effort and use words that add flavour to their speech- the way salt livens a dish! Paul is addressing these remarks to believers, which means even for Christ followers one can specialise in using murderous words that are quite depressing. Indeed, everyone must have met someone, even among brethren, for whom all talk is ever negative! There are certain people who seem to thrive on poisonous talk, with little in their vocabulary to celebrate life, bring joy or cheer to the spirit.
Our speech as believers should be flavoured with the salt of grace. When we do so we make our company desirable. Few people cherish food without salt. When our speech is not seasoned with the salt of grace, we took become repellent and ultimately of less use to the Kingdom of the God we serve.
Prayer for today: Lord Father God of Abraham, maker of heaven, today I pray that you help make my speech ever seasoned with kindly words that are uplifting and build up others, for your kingdoms sake, this I pray in Jesus name!
Related upcoming events
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11/05/2024 - 12/05/2024 All day“Now God has caused the official to show favor and compassion to Daniel” (Dan 1:9)
It can be said with certainty everyone in life would like to be favored- especially from God. Favor brings opportunity and comes with blessings. The Bible has many people who were indeed favored and the blessings on their life is clearly evident.
We have Joseph who had favor upon him whether working for Potiphar (Gen 39:5); down in jail (Gen 39:21); and finally being elevated as prime minister of great Egypt. When Abraham was 99 the Lord appeared to him and blessed him, “I will establish My covenant between Me and you, And I will multiply you exceedingly” (Gen 17:1- 8). Mary was selected among all women as the mother of Jesus (Luke 1:28-33).
Perhaps here one may ask, but how does one receive favor from God?If we may look at the above and other examples of those who were greatly favored by God, like Noah from the Great flood (Genesis 6:8), or Moses to lead the people of Israel (Exodus 33: 12-17), it was not because there was anything remarkably good in these people. Neither was perfect yet God showed favor upon them. The reason is, “For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion” (Romans 9:15).
A clear characteristic of those who receive favor is humility. Isaiah 66:2 says, “These are the ones I look on with favor: those who are humble and contrite in spirit, and those who tremble at my word.” As the preacher Charles Spurgeon once wrote, “God shows favor to those who seek his favor by loving Him, respecting Him, honoring Him, and by taking delight in His word.”
We can receive favor by asking God. Psalm 119 says, “I entreat your favor with all my heart; be gracious to me according to your promise” (Psalm 119:58). And God is calling us to have our hearts in tune with Him, for, “the Lord bestows favor and honor, no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless” (Psalm 84:11).Today, pray and walk in that assurance of being favored of the Lord Almighty.
Prayer for today: Lord Father God of Abraham, maker of heaven and earth, today I come to you in humility to ask of your favor to bless me in all that I do, this I pray in Jesus’ name.
