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.
As Jesus confirmed in Mark 9:50 and in Luke 14:34, “salt is good.” How many of us can imagine a world without salt, the most basic and—arguably—best of seasonings? When it comes to many of our favorite foods, salt is the ultimate flourish. Think about it: popcorn, French fries, steak, potato chips, tortilla chips, apples (for which my precious wife thinks I am nuts), and on and on and on. Salt is more than an afterthought—it is a necessary garnish for most of us.
Like our culinary choices, our verbal choices must be seasoned with salt, especially—as Paul relates—toward “outsiders.” His point is obvious, I believe. The apostle is challenging Christians everywhere to speak to others in ways that are pleasant. He is exhorting us to communicate with the world in a manner that the world will receive with pleasure our words. A positive result in conversation with others is not completely up to us, of course. What we can control, however, is the ways in which we speak. We can control our attitudes, our word choices, and our tone. Through the Holy Spirit, we can be a people whose speech is gracious and “seasoned with salt.” We can assure that, at least on our end, everything is being done to promote a pleasant and tasteful exchange.
As we discussed last Sunday, putting priority on our relationships is one of the ways in which we can serve the Lord. As has been said many times before, God is very serious about human relationships.
Let’s have a great time worshiping together today!
–Ricky