By Our Words

And the passage continues Colossians 4:5-6 Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity.

Be Aware When I took Personal Evangelism it was very much concerned with meeting someone and initiating a spiritual conversation, leading them through the plan of salvation, guiding them through a decision and prayer and pointing them to a church. And people go saved that way, but seriously. You don’t have to be strategic about find someone who doesn’t know Jesus. The story is told about a battle during the civil war and the fortunes had turned on the Union troops and the commander called for a retreat. When suddenly an enlisted man broke ranks, ran across no man land, hit a confederate soldier with his rifle and carried him back dumping him a the officer’s feet. The officer looked at the man and said “Where did you get him?” to which the man replied, “Over yonder and there are enough there for everyone.” You don’t have to look very far to find those who need Jesus; they share your work place, your class room and might even live under the same roof. Be aware that people are watching how you live and what you say. There is so much truth in the statement that you are the only bible some people will ever read. They are watching what you do and what you say, which leads us to the next point.

Colossians 4:5-6 Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone.

Speak Graciously The bible constantly warns us of the danger of the tongue, and we are all aware of that. We don’t need Solomon to tell us things like Proverbs 13:3 Those who control their tongue will have a long life; opening your mouth can ruin everything. Or Proverbs 15:2 The tongue of the wise makes knowledge appealing, but the mouth of a fool belches out foolishness.

And it was Abraham Lincoln who said “Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt”

And this is tough, probably not for you but for me. There are times I think I need to have business cards printed up that say “I’m sorry, I’m a jerk”. Because too often I am to quick to speak my mind, or to be sarcastic in my response to someone.

Paul tells us to make sure our speech is gracious and attractive. But listen to how the New International Version translates this verse Colossians 4:6 NIV Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. Not just gracious but filled with grace. When you talk to people who don’t share your faith is your conversation filled with grace?

And while salt is common place today, two thousand years ago it was an incredibly valuable commodity. I could preach an entire sermon on salt, and I have. But let it be suffice to say that salt was used for preserving food, for flavouring food, for medical reasons and even as part of the salary of Roman soldiers was designated for the purchase of salt. Thus the phrase “Worth your salt.” It was seen as something of great value. Is that how our words are seen, not by us, but by those who hear them? Or overhear them.