Grace, Seasoned with Salt
Colossians 4:2–6
Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt. Colossians 4:6

What should the Christian’s conversation be like? This verse suggests five characteristics.

1. Our words should be kind. God is kind to us. Therefore, we should be kind when we speak to other people. God’s words are gracious words. Ours should be gracious also. Words do hurt. Sometimes words kill. So do not harm by your words. Speak kindly.

2. Our speech should be serious. I do not mean by this that Christians should be humorless or grim. We are never told that Jesus laughed, but we know he was witty and that he was an enjoyable person to be with. Yet Jesus was not frivolous either, was he? He never engaged in stupid or mindless conversations. He could enjoy life and have a good time. But he also knew that what we say is important and that spiritual matters are of the utmost importance. Therefore, when speaking, Jesus always seemed to have the spiritual well-being of other people uppermost in his mind.

3. Our comments should be discerning. This is what Paul is speaking about when he tells us to “mak[e] the best use of the time” (v. 5). Not every moment of our day contains opportunities for sharing the gospel or speaking a timely or encouraging word. On the other hand, there are many more opportunities to speak about things that matter than most of us are conscious of, and a discerning person will pick up on them.

4. Our statements should be wise. How to speak, when to speak, and when not to speak are all matters that involve wisdom. But when we think of our conversations being wise, we should also think of the content of what we say and how true wisdom is found not in the world’s insights but in the Bible. True wisdom comes from God through the instruction in the Bible, and the conversations of Christians should be filled with it.

5. Our conversation should be interesting. In Paul’s reference to “seasoned with salt,” he is alluding to salt’s ability to contribute flavor to something that might otherwise be insipid. Is your conversation like that? Is it interesting? I am afraid that many Christians are dull in what they say because they are not thinking much about important matters. Yet it is also true that the most interesting of all people are Christians, particularly if they are studying God’s Word and learning to think about life as Christians.

Let this be your daily prayer: “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer” (Ps. 19:14).

Taken from Come to the Waters by James Boice ISBN 9798887790954 used with permission from P&R Publishing, Phillipsburg NJ 08865

Scripture quotations are from the ESV (the Holy Bible English Standard Version) copyright 2001 by Crossway a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved.