#?%@+!!!

[From February 8, 2013]

"Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer everyone."

(Colossians 4:6)

Thumper taught us that "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all."  (Actually, it was his mother who taught him that!)  Thumper's mom must have read Colossians 4:6.  Paul reminds the church in Colossae to have "gracious speech" at all times, "seasoned with salt."

Salt is an interesting choice of words here, isn't it?  Salt gives flavor to a dish of food.  It actually enhances the flavor that's inherent to the aforementioned food, rather than imposing it's own flavor.  Also, salt was used in the OT for covenant-making.  The details aren't clear, but it was part of a binding agreement between two parties.  Maybe Paul is reminding us that gracious speech binds our relationships?

Just about everyone talks.  Just about everyone uses words. So everyone has a choice about what words they use.  Sure, it may require a bit of self-discipline, but we have the capacity to use "gracious speech."  How awesome would this world be if everyone did just that?