SALTED TRUTH IS EFFECTIVE TRUTH

Collosians 4:6 KJV
Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.

Dear Believer,

I do not need to tell you again how important words are. What I wish to tell you today is how important it is to empower your words with kindness.

Some pride themselves in speaking the truth ‘no matter whose ox is gored.’ Well, it is good to speak the truth, but you need to understand that in most cases, the truth fails to change anything because of the way it is spoken.

Most people know the truth. When you are telling them that truth, they are probably not hearing something they didn’t know before. A lot of times, the manner of your speech is what gets the truth home to people’s heart.

I’m not talking about ‘sugarcoating’ your words. Our focus passage today says that the Believer’s speech should be always spoken with grace and seasoned with salt. So you can sugarcoat your words, which implies flattery and deception, or you can ‘salt-season’ your words, which means speaking the truth with kindness and consideration devoid of a judgemental spirit.

Jesus met a woman by a well. From what Jesus already knew about this woman through the Spirit, we can easily conclude that she had lived an irresponsible marital life. Or how else could a young woman have had five husbands in her life and be living with the sixth man she wasn’t even married to. We don’t know her whole story but we have enough reason to judge her harshly if we want to.

Now, Jesus asked her, “Where is your husband?”

“I don’t have a husband,” said the woman.

Jesus responded kindly to the woman, “You said that well. You’ve had five husbands, and the man you are living with right now isn’t your husband. You spoke truthfully in saying that.”

Please read that dialog in John chapter 4 and see the gentle Majesty of Christ wisely using the truth to bring that ‘wayward’ woman into the Kingdom.

He used commendation instead of condemnation. He used love instead of law. He used mercy instead of judgement.

Yes it was all about the truth, but more importantly here, it was about the way He spoke it. The woman knew that she was living in sin already, and she must have been roundly condemned for her lifestyle by many, but that day, she encountered love. She became the reason a whole Samaritan village came to Christ.

Many Believers today would condemn that woman. That would be like beating a dead horse, since she stood condemned already. What she needed was a way out.

Many wouldn’t see anything to commend in her life. If she was sitting on hell’s fence, they would push her over into it with their judgemental attitude.

Believer, you are called to speak the truth, and you are called to speak it with mercy, love and ‘salt.’ Many won’t ever come to the saving Grace of Jesus without that.

Now talk to your Father:
Dear Father, thank you for the truth you have revealed to me. Help me by the Holy Spirit to always season the truth of your word and my own words with spiritual salt. Let me always be filled with the wisdom of Jesus. Amen.

Have a great day.

Your friend,
Deon.