Here’s a thought provoking couple of verses:
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. – Colossians 4:5-6
I have been a Christian for 25 years. Over that time I have come to believe – through personal experience and through faith in God’s word – that true life and true fulfillment are only found through knowing God. Check out an earlier post on ‘Finding Life’ here.
The question remains for everyone who calls themself ‘Christian’, “How do we effectively share that life with the world around us“. How do combine belief in God with a love for people who don’t know him in a way that effectively helps people to discover that life?
Personally, I’ve made many mistakes in my time. Friends I’ve turned off through being over-zealous and pushy with the good news. Friends I’ve never been effective with because I was so concerned with developing ‘relationship’ that I wasn’t bold enough to tell them what I must if I really care for them. While I anticipate making more mistakes in the future, these simple instructions in Colossians hold some great keys which I’ve set my sights on living by.
Let your conversation be always full of grace and seasoned with salt
It’s interesting to note the weighting applied here. It doesn’t say to let your conversations be full of hard-hitting truth and then season it with just a smidgeon of grace. It says to make sure you’re extending the good news of God’s love, compassion, and mercy. To always be sharing the hope that the we have found, and the life that is freely available, and to season that with salt. To ensure there’s also just a bit of that Godly influence working into people’s lives that is going to confront the things that need to be confronted.
The truth is it’s easy to extend judgement and criticism. The world does it all the time. Jesus’ pattern is different though: He extended mercy and compassion to people who knew they were sinners, and reserved harsh words and rebukes for religious types who pretended they were perfect.
One of the greatest examples of this is his interaction with the woman caught in adultery (you can read the story in John 8:1-11). The woman expected his judgement and condemnation. Instead he offered her life-changing grace and forgiveness, seasoning it with a “Go now and leave your life of sin”.
The world expects Christians to judge them and to point fingers disapprovingly. It’s amazing how powerful it can be when you refuse to condemn someone, and instead extend God’s grace and acceptance along with a suitable seasoning of salt. It would be great to hear how you get on.
Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you toward repentance? – Romans 2:4
