Read Colossians 4:5–6
Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt,
so that you may know how to answer everyone.
Colossians 4:6
Christians in general, and Christian leaders in particular, must have
“a good reputation with outsiders” (1 Tim. 3:7). When members of
a church are calling a new pastor, they ought to investigate his testimony among his neighbors and the businessmen who know him.
Even though unsaved people are in the dark spiritually, they have a
great deal of discernment when it comes to the things of this life. It is
unfortunate when members of a church call a pastor who has not paid
his bills and has left behind a bad witness to unsaved people.
It is not enough simply to walk wisely and carefully before unbelievers. We must also talk with them and share the gospel message
with them. But we must take care that our speech is controlled by
grace, so that it points to Christ and glorifies the Lord. This means we
must have grace in our hearts (Col. 3:16), because it is from the heart
that the mouth speaks (Matt. 12:34). With grace in our hearts and on
our lips, we will be faithful witnesses and not judges or prosecuting
attorneys!
Something to Ponder
How do you let your speech be “seasoned with salt”?