Watch the Salt, Please
By Carolyn Hulliberger
“Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt,
so that you may know how to answer everyone.”
Colossians 4:6 (NIV)
Salt. NaCl on the periodic table. Salt enhances
flavor, acts as a preservative, melts ice, prevents infection, but there is one
other power it has…
Too much salt spoils the dish. (1)
Too many words can ruin a
conversation…or a relationship. As a mom of teenagers, I am learning, and
seemingly re-learning, this constantly. In my desire to provide guidance and wisdom,
the tendency is to jump into a situation, tell the other person what to think,
what action steps to complete and advise what Jesus would do…all within the
framework of my set of experiences. The result of this approach over time is steadily
decreased communication or conversation that does not go below the surface.
This isn’t exclusive to relationships with our children but also with our
friends, co-workers, and our online life on social media.
The Message paraphrase puts today’s verse this
way: “Be gracious in your speech. The goal is to bring out the best in others
in a conversation, not put them down, not cut them out.” (Colossians 4:6, MSG)
Without a doubt, as Christ followers,
we are called to be salt and light in a dark world. We often need to speak up
about the truth of God and His ways. But we are also called to be wise with our
words. In Karen Ehman’s book, Keep It Shut:
What to Say, How to Say It, and When to Say Nothing At All, she
writes: “Our words must glorify God and not just exalt our own opinions.”
So I’m learning to measure my words
carefully. Asking a question, listening to an answer, not freaking out, and
carefully tailoring my responses with gentleness. I’m working on remembering
the principle that a little salt can go a long way. And that dumping a lot of salt carelessly will leave a bad taste.
GOING
DEEPER:
1.
Are there situations in your own life that need less “salt” than you’ve
been using?
FURTHER
READING:
Along with caring for her family, Carolyn works
as an insurance representative, serves in Oakwood Church as a Community Group
leader and a High School home group leader.
(1)
For more information on this, consider reading Keep It Shut: What to
Say, How to Say It, and When to Say Nothing at All by Karen Ehman, ©2015,
Zondervan.
