“Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.” – Colossians 4:6
Given how short most people fall of this standard, it’s worth observing that in the original language, this is a command. Christians are COMMANDED to speak in a way that is always gracious. So, how ‘bout it? Is your speech always giving undeserved favor to those listening? Are you always kinder, gentler, and more forgiving in speech than your audience deserves? That’s fundamentally what it means to be gracious in speech and we need to take that very seriously!
Is your speech intentional, interesting (flavorful – like it’s seasoned with salt), preserving and encouraging those who hear it (as salt did in those days), and worthy of offering to God (offerings included salt)? For most of us, the answer is probably a version of no. In Matthew 12, Jesus said we will give an account for every idle word we speak. As followers of Jesus (who definitely knew how to answer each person), we must endeavor to upgrade our speaking every minute of every day!
Christians don’t need to be quick to answer everything that’s ever said or asked of us. In Christ, we can be patient and wise in how we speak. We can speak words of life rather than death, words that glorify God rather than dishonor Him even as we think we’re defending Him. This dying world doesn’t need our angry speech, proud speech, defensive speech, evasive speech, entitled speech, whiny speech, or pointless speech. However, it desperately needs our gracious, God-glorifying speech. Speak wisely and well!