Seasoned Speech
Have you ever considered how those who represent Jesus Christ should speak in every interaction, day by day? Paul provides the answer in Colossians 4: “Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.” (v. 6). This verse is very challenging, but it is precisely what is required for those who speak, as it were, in the name of the Lord.
Notice how often Christ’s followers are to be gracious. Paul says that we are to display gracious speech all of the time—not, most of the time or some of the time. It is challenging to be gracious in speech when the kids are pushing us to the breaking point or when the customer service representative is being unhelpful. It is especially difficult to be gracious in speech when someone has been dishonest or unfair with us—when someone has been rude to us. But Paul does not allow for any exceptions. He writes, “Let your speech always be gracious…” (v. 4)
Our speech is to be gracious and thereby “seasoned with salt” (v. 4). Salt does two things at least. It preserves meat from rotting – and it makes meals taste better. We live in a decaying society. The words we hear around us are rotten. The conversation we hear around us is deadly, and infectiously so. But the words of the Christian – the words of the ambassador of Jesus – they hold back the rot and preserve wholeness. Our words promote wholeness– even simple words in conversation – because they pave the way for the gospel of life. Not every conversation is a gospel conversation, but each conversation either opens the door to the gospel or closes it. Each conversation is an invitation to others either to live or to die because each interaction that we have with a person dictates whether they will be willing to hear anything else from us again.
Salt is a preservative. It also makes things taste good – it gives attractiveness and appeal to the taste buds. And we need to make our words taste good to people – people who interact with us should feel that they have encountered something different and savoury. The extra note of interest in them as a person. The extra dash of patience. The extra word of kindness. The lack of deception – or griminess – or selfishness. Of course, not every interaction will contain the substance of the gospel. But every interaction should make others willing to interact with us again – curious about what is different about us and eager to hear. And that is why Paul continues as he does in verse 6, “Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.” Paul wants the believers to be in the habit of speaking graciously and saltily – so that when the questions come about their faith, they will already have habits of speech in place (the instincts and the character) to answer, not aggressively or defensively, but graciously. They will not answer dryly or unattractively, but in a way that could be described as salty by bringing the substance of the life-giving gospel.
Friends, if we know Jesus, we are his representatives. We operate under the banner of his name. And what a privilege that is! But what will it look like for you to do so more faithfully – more consistently – in your speaking this week? May your speech always be winsome and wholesome to the glory of God.