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“Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.”  Colossians 4:6 (ESV)

Everyone has an audience today….between tweets, posts and chats…someone is always listening to our words tapped out on a keyboard or phone.  They may not audibly hear us utter those words, but they can definitely catch the flavor of our speech.

Communicating in 2021 looks so different than in Paul’s day.  No cell phones.  No computers. No Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat or Instagram.  Despite the lack of tools to convey their message, Paul challenged the believers in Colossae to weigh their words carefully.

Why all the emphasis on speech?  Throughout God’s word, we find several references regarding the weight of our words:

• Our words are to glorify God (Psalm 19:14)
• God knows our words before we speak them (Psalm 139:4)
• Restraining our lips serves us well   (Proverbs 10:19)
• Harsh words stir up anger (Proverbs 15:1
• The right word at the right moment is priceless (Proverbs 25:11)

And last but not least, James reminds us in Chapter 3 , no human can tame the tongue.  Lots of ouches in that list don’t you agree?  We find it ever so easy to voice our opinion, post our thoughts and speak our responses without even a moments hesitation.  Yet God reminds us whatever we say and how we say it impacts our influence in the lives of others.

Sweet friends as God’s ambassadors, we have the awesome privilege of speaking life, grace and truth into the lives of those we meet.  For some, we may be the only version of the Bible they will ever pick up and read.  For some, we may be the reason why they don’t want to pick up the Bible – convicting to say the least.

Before his conversion, Paul spent a lot of time giving his opinion against believers.  His statements were filled with powerful impact in the moment and cost others’ their lives for the sake of Jesus Christ.  But Paul’s encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus changed his speech forever.  Never once did he revert back to harshly accusing the body of Christ.  His focus and driving passion was to use the words which uttered from his mouth to proclaim the good news – the gospel.

In a world where words are many, unrehearsed and unrestrained, we find the challenge to be real.  Are our words filled with grace?  Are we using words to preserve and build up the body of Christ?  Do we know enough about the gospel to give an answer to those desperately searching for truth?  Is our speech glorifying God or is it stirring up disunity and discord – just so we can prove out point?

Lots to think about in a world where voices can be heard loud and clear.  Once our words hit the air, they are gone never again to be retrieved.  Maybe it’s time we carved in time this week to evaluate how our words are drawing others to Jesus.  Perhaps we need to rethink some responses. Maybe we need to spend some time diving deeper into His word to ensure we can give others the reason for the hope within us.  And most importantly, let’s surrender our words to the control of the Holy Spirit – who will guide us in choosing words which serve us and others well.

“Father, our words are many and often empty focused and driven on our agendas.  Help us to weigh the power of our words and choose carefully so we will bring honor and glory to Your name.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life