Taste Your Words First!
Dear Friends,
“Let your speech at all times be gracious (pleasant and winsome), seasoned {as it were} with salt, {so that you may never be at a loss} to know how you ought to answer anyone {who puts a question to you}.” Colossians 4:6 (ampc)
Have you every had food that looked perfect but was bland? I mean it was perfectly prepared. The chicken was fried to perfection. The mashed potatoes nicely whipped. The mac -n-cheese so rich and creamy, you can almost taste it right? You mouth just watery, and ready to eat! You sit down to eat your plate, and that food that looks so amazing to the eye, is just bland. No seasoning at all, just cooked to perfection.
What a waste of food! Just as we have natural seasonings that makes food taste better. There is a spiritual seasoning called grace. It makes ears of the listener of your words perk up with anticipation of what you are about to say. It is soothing to their souls, even if it is correction. Can the people around us taste the seasoning of GRACE when we speak with them? If not, this is where change needs to come.
It’s always much easier to be gracious with our words, when the person we are responding to hasn’t irritated, hurt, or disappointed us. However, the above scripture tells us that our speech is to be gracious and pleasant at ALL TIMES!!!
I know you are asking how can we possibly do this. First we must be able to receive God’s grace for ourselves.
2 Corinthians 12:9 (AMPC), But He said to me, My grace (My favor and loving-kindness and mercy) is enough for you (sufficient against any danger and enables you to bear the trouble manfully); for My strength and power are made perfect (fulfilled and completed) and show themselves most effective in (your) weakness. Therefore, I will all the more gladly glory in my weaknesses and infirmities, that the strength and power of Christ (the Messiah) may rest (yes, may pitch a tent and dwell) upon me!
Then, we should asked the Holy Spirit to help us to walk in Grace....
James 1:19 (AMPC), “Understand (this), my beloved brethren. Let every man be quick to hear (a ready listener), slow to speak, slow to take offense and to get angry.
Take time before you speak to evaluate your response. Would it be something you would want to eat? Is it bland and without seasoning? If we wouldn’t want to eat it, then why would we feed it to others. We are living in a time, when we can no longer make excuses for how we are, or have been. No, we must chose to obey God word, no matter how uncomfortable it makes us. The time is NOW!!! His word is truth, and exudes love. If His word settles things in heaven, then surely our words out of obedience, will settle things in the earth. People need to taste the grace of our words. They deserve it, and you deserve it too!
Go be Gracious,
Chanda Rose
