Do you know what makes a great BBQ? It’s not the fire or the meat; it’s the salt. When the meat is seasoned with something like garlic salt, it brings out the flavor of the meat the fire. People have been seasoning meat for centuries because it preserves it. That is why Paul tells you to season your speech with grace, just like salt, so that you can preserve relationships. Doing so will help you personally, and it will benefit the church as a whole.
Colossians 4:6
“Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person.”
Choose How You Respond
Words can tear down faster than any other tool or weapon. Hurtful words can at least ruin your day and, at worst, break your heart. We’ve all experienced it and will avoid it at all costs. We can’t control how others speak to us, but we can choose how we respond to others. The Apostle Paul tells us to speak to others with grace. That means we err on the side of understanding and forgiveness. If someone puts us down, we need to respond in love. Season your speech with grace.
Infuse Grace into the Dilemma
Let’s be honest. Some of us speak better to our pets than we do to our family. This may be because pets are more loyal, and it seems the family is always letting us down. This is why it is vital to infuse grace into the situation. An overreaction with your words will only make the situation worse. Look for ways to defuse the dilemma instead of add to it. You will find that others around you will appreciate how you handled the situation.
Season Your Speech with Grace
A well-seasoned piece of meat is a delight to the tastebuds. You savor every bite, and the memory of it doesn’t go away quickly. The same is true when you speak to others with grace. When someone has done something wrong, they expect to hear about it, and they are often ready to defend themselves. When you choose to speak with grace, it disarms them and opens the door to reconciliation—season your speech with grace.