Graceful Words

September 23

Isaiah 39-41

Psalm 106:13-18

Proverbs 23:17-18

Colossians 4:2-18 

Graceful Words

“Let your words always be with grace, seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should answer each person.”  Colossians 4:6  LSB

Words are powerful.  They can encourage or they can tear down.  They can be a source of life or they can cut like a knife.  They can provide wisdom and insight or can be empty and worthless.  Jesus Himself spoke about our words in Matthew 12:26-27, “But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment.  For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” LSB  James warns of the destructive nature of the tongue and the difficulty of taming it (James 3:5-12).  He uses bits in a horse’s mouth and the rudder of a ship to describe how a small part of the body can have such a major influence over our lives.  Solomon also had much to say about the tongue and the wise use of our words (Proverbs 18:20-21, 12:18, 21:23, 10:19, 15:1-2, 13:3, 6:16-19, 31:26, 29:20, 16:24). Psalm 39:1 gives sound advice about controlling our tongues, “I said, ‘I will watch my ways and keep my tongue from sin;  I will put a muzzle on my mouth while in the presence of the wicked.’” NIV  Sometimes I need the image of a muzzle over my mouth to keep my mouth shut. 

Our words should always be given with grace.  This doesn’t mean that we should just be agreeable and nonconfrontational, but rather that our words should be kind and gracious.  We should speak with gentleness and love as a reflection of the grace we have received from Christ. Our motivation in speaking to others should be to encourage and build them up.  Seasoned with salt emphasizes the importance of wisdom and discernment.  Salt is valuable for preserving and providing flavor.  Our words should be useful and impactful.  Like salt enhances the flavor of food, our words should be helpful and relevant.  The last part of the verse is perhaps the most important, and the most difficult.  It is imperative that we listen to the prompting of the Holy Spirit so that we are able to know what we should say and when we should say it.  We cannot know what is going on in the heart and mind of anyone else, but the Holy Spirit does.  We do not know what they need to hear, what will be helpful, or what will be hurtful.  A message may speak right to the heart of one person but have no impact on another.  Only by listening to the still small voice in our heart can we know how to encourage and help others with words that will bring healing and hope.  Praying and asking God to give us the right words in every situation allows us to think before we speak and be purposeful and intentional with our words.