This week’s devotions are based on the Week 11″Explore God” – Meant for More! (WATCH HERE)
How you speak matters!
Colossians 4:6 Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
“It’s not WHAT you said…it’s HOW you said it.”
How many times have we heard this phrase? Words can mean or communicate something very different depending on the tone and inflection that are connected to the words. Even in the texting world programmers have developed countless emoji’s to allow the texter to put some emotion behind an emotionless text. Everyone knows HOW you say something matters.
It is no different in our witnessing opportunities.
People will tune out to your words when they do not have the right tone.
The Apostle Paul knew it would be easy for every Christian to speak to people outside the Christian faith with a tone that would turn them off. A tone of judgment comes across as “I am better than you.” A tone of frustration comes across as, “I can’t believe you believe that nonsense.” A tone of anger comes across as, “I’m not going to waste my time on you anymore.”
And once someone senses a tone that is incongruent with the Gospel of grace, I’ve lost the opportunity to share a message of grace.
“Let your conversation be always full of grace.”
What do you think this sounds like? Or better yet “feels” like to the one receiving your words? Here’s a few thoughts.
My tone communicates love and genuine concern and care.
My words seek to always represent and point people to the forgiving love of Christ.
My demeanor never communicates anger or frustration, but an empathy that comes from the heart.
The Gospel message is the best news ever. It is the power of God for the salvation of souls. We want to get out of the way with emotions and tones that negate or taint grace and simply let God’s grace not only be communicated but be felt.
“Seasoned with salt.” Salt makes something palatable and tasty. The Gospel is not devoid of also sharing the reality of sin and God’s law. However, even when my words communicate God’s will and point out where someone is living contrary to it, my words are seasoned with the life-giving and life-changing reality of God’s forgiveness and love for us found in Christ. The answer to sin found in the forgiveness in Christ is an example of being “seasoned with salt” that makes a tough message easier to swallow.
“So you may know how to answer everyone.”
Ultimately grace is the solution for everyone. Virtually any spiritual question will come to a discussion about the saving work of Jesus. The Apostle Peter encourages us to answer people with gentleness and respect. We won’t always agree. But we can always answer with truth seasoned with love. With gentleness which leaves a conversation respected.
Tone and heart matter for our conversations with people outside the Christian faith (although the same encouragement can be a blessing within the community of believers too!). When our tone and heart communicate grace, truth and love, the recipient of the words we share will not only hear them as the words of God, but will feel them as coming from a God who loves them.
Apply: Evaluate the last spiritual conversation you had. What changes when you replay the conversation with your words full of grace?
Prayer: Lord, season all my words with your grace. AMEN.