THURSDAY 7th
Colossians 4:1-6
NIV (vv5-6) – ‘Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.’
ESV (vv5-6) – ‘Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.’
My late grandmother used to often say to us as children growing up, ‘you will have to give an account for every idle word you have spoken’, (found in Matthew 12:36) she was correct except that she included in this every joke or humorous comment we may have said as well, She meant well, but took things to the extreme, but there is from these verses before us today a very clear instruction concerning not only our conversation but also our conduct in particular towards outsiders or unbelievers.
Many of those we see on a daily basis, whether work colleagues or fellow students, neighbours, or even unsaved family and friends may never pick up a Bible to read, or listen in to a Bible teaching programme on TV or radio, but they will always be reading our lives and listening to what we are saying.
Paul is reminding the Colossian believers to make the best of every opportunity, in other words treat every moment of our time with others as a way of displaying Jesus. He encourages it in two ways, walk in wisdom, and speak rightly. The Christian walk is so important, and we need to ensure that the way we walk as we traverse this world is in such a way that we become a testimony to those around us. I am going to turn our attention to the Psalms after we complete Colossians and the very first Psalm is to do with our walk, we need to tread carefully knowing that the world is watching, secondly in regard to our speech, in the rough and tumble of every day, in particular in a secular sense we can so easily speak in a manner that is not befitting to a believer, we can answer in a way that mars our testimony or behave in a way that is not conducive to a Christian lifestyle, but, it is also possible to speak or behave in a way that can have a negative impact among the Christian community as well. Paul gives us the antidote which is to make sure we speak in a gracious way, that is in a manner that is pleasant and favourable and make sure our speech is seasoned with salt – that means making sure what we say is palatable to those who hear it and not offensive or condescending. In the book of Proverbs, we read ‘A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouths of fools pour out folly.’ (Proverbs 15:1-2)
May God help us to be wise in our walk and wise with our tongues, may we guard them both, taking care where we tread and do our best in taming the tongue.