July 11,2012 ~ Speak with Grace

Let your conversation be always full of grace,

seasoned with salt,

so that you may know how to answer everyone.

Colossians 4:6

Thoughts~

I am a salt lover. Guilty of sprinkling it on some foods before I even taste it, I love the way salt enhances food. Tomatoes, lemons, eggs, vegetables all taste better with salt, at least to my taste buds.  As the daughter of parents from Texas, we eat watermelon and cantaloupe with salt: it brings out the flavor!

Even if salt is not your thing, you probably agree food needs seasoning much of the time.

As we linger around our tables, enjoying good food and good company, our conversation needs to enrich the hearer. If we were to serve food without any seasoning, it would be bland and unremarkable. In the same way, we need to make sure our speech is seasoned correctly: full of grace so it will not be rejected with aversion. It will enhance the conversation and we will be prepared to know how to answer everyone. We want people to be drawn to us, so they are open to hearing about Jesus and His life, salvation and love. We want to be like a salt shaker: seasoning our talk with all the right things.

Action~

I have an old canning jar that is filled with rock salt as a constant reminder to season my conversations with care. You might want to do something similar. Now, think about one word that you can use in your mind when you are chatting with anyone, but, especially those who are difficult. Got it? It’s love. If we keep love always in the forefront of our talk, we will not lose our cool.  It’s like the WWJD that had been around for years. In this case it would be HWJR which is How Would Jesus Respond? The answer? With Love. His salt shaker would be filled with love. Let yours be too.

Pray~

Father, I want so much to season my conversations with grace and love.  Forgive me for all the times I have failed you with my mouth. Remind me of HWJR until it becomes a daily habit. Thank You for loving me.

Trusting the Lord,

Becky