Grace, Seasoned with Salt

Date: March 13, 2023

I use the BLESS method every morning for my devotional. 

B - Bible Verse
L - Listen for God's Word and pray
E - Explore the History and meaning
S - Study and savor
S - Summarize and Share

You can read more about it by going to: What is a Faith Journal?

Bible Scripture Verse – Colossians 4:6

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

Listen for God’s Voice

Heavenly Father, Thank you for reminding us today that our words and conversations matter. Help us to speak with grace, kindness and wisdom so that we can be a positive example of your love to others. Help us to interact with others in a way that is respectful and loving. May our words be seasoned with salt, so that when we respond to questions or criticism, we answer in a way that is thoughtful and respectful and brings others closer to you through our words and actions. 

Explore History – Who wrote it, when and to what audience? Key people in the story?

The Apostle Paul wrote this letter while he was imprisoned in Rome around 60-62 AD. The audience was city of Colossae, which is near modern day Turkey. Paul had never visited this city but had heard about their faith and love through his colleague Epaphras, who had founded the church there.  Paul was encouraging the believers to let their conversations be full of grace and seasoned with salt so that they could share the truth of the gospel with others in a way that reflected God’s truth and love. 

Study and Savor – Key Words

"conversation": This refers to the way we communicate with others, not just in terms of the words we use, but also in terms of our tone, attitude, and body language.

"full of grace": This means that our communication should be characterized by kindness, compassion, and forgiveness, reflecting the grace that God has shown us.

"seasoned with salt": This phrase can be interpreted in a few different ways, but it likely refers to using wisdom, wit, or creative expression to make our communication more interesting and engaging. It could also refer to the idea of adding flavor or zest to our words, making them more appealing and effective.

"know how to answer everyone": This phrase emphasizes the importance of being prepared to respond to questions or criticisms from others, whether they are believers or non-believers. By speaking with grace and wisdom, we can effectively share the truth of the gospel and help others understand the hope that we have in Christ.

Summarize and Share

Have you ever had a conversation with someone and later regretted the words you said? Maybe you were unkind, dismissive, or rude, and you wish you could take back what you said. Or perhaps you missed an opportunity to share the gospel with someone because you didn't know how to respond to their questions.

In today’s scripture, the Apostle Paul encourages us to let our conversations be full of grace and seasoned with salt, so that we may know how to answer everyone. This is a reminder that our words matter and that we have a responsibility to use them wisely.

Today, it can be easy to get caught up in arguments on social media, gossip with friends, or even just negative self-talk. But as Christians, we are called to a higher standard of communication. We are called to speak with kindness, compassion, and wisdom, reflecting the grace that God has shown us.

Pause before you speak: Before you say something, take a moment to think about how your words might be received by the other person. Ask yourself if what you're about to say is kind, truthful, and helpful.

Practice active listening: When someone is speaking to you, really listen to what they're saying. Try to understand their perspective and respond with empathy and compassion.

Study the Bible: The more we understand God's Word, the better equipped we will be to respond to questions

Never forget to season your words with salt so that our speech is always gracious, bringing hope and encouragement to those around us. 

Bible Cross Reference

Ephesians 4:29 - "Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear."

Proverbs 15:23 - "To make an apt answer is a joy to a man, and a word in season, how good it is!"

Matthew 5:16 - "In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven."

James 1:19 - "Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger;"