Tasteful Speech

 

“Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.”

Colossians 4:5-6 ESV

 

There’s been a trend that has deeply troubled me the past several years. What I’m referring to is the vitriol expressed by those with differing beliefs. What I’m referring to is the brashness and the condescending words that are spoken to others.

 

Christians have been as guilty of this as anyone else. But we haven’t spoken in this way to each other. We don’t tend to speak in this way to those who share our beliefs. However, when it comes to outsiders, when it comes to those who don’t share our worldview, it’s been a common occurrence.

 

Perhaps we’ve justified this behavior with the fact that the issues are serious in nature. Perhaps we’ve excused our behavior because of the evil we see in the opposing view. But, as we see in the verses above, this is something we cannot do.

 

Even though we may spend a good amount of time at church, and even though we may interact with other believers of other congregations throughout the day, most of us spend a majority of our time among unbelievers. As we engage with our coworkers, customers, clients, neighbors, and perhaps even family members, we are engaging with those who don’t share our faith.

 

And, as Paul tells us, we must not squander these opportunities. We must not waste them with our hateful attitude. We must, rather, walk in wisdom and make the best use of our time.

 

As believers, we represent the Lord. As believers, our calling is to love our neighbor. As believers, our mission is to share the gospel with everyone and to make disciples of all nations. And this is something we cannot do if we are spewing hatred and animosity.

 

Paul says that our speech is to be always gracious. Grace, as most of us know, is an undeserved gift. Speaking graciously, then, is to interact with others in a way they do not deserve.

 

What I’m saying is that, even if they have it coming, we aren’t to give them a tongue lashing. Even if they’ve spewed hatred toward us, we aren’t to return it in kind. We are to speak to them as if our interaction has been completely positive and as if their words to us have been kind and loving.

 

We’re to let our speech always be seasoned with salt. In other words, our speech is to be tasteful. It is to be pleasing to the ear and uplifting to the soul.

 

Emotions, of course, can get the better of any of us. We will all, at times, respond in a way that is anything but gracious and tasteful. And, for this, we must repent. We must seek the mercy of God knowing that, for the sake of Christ, he will readily forgive us. For this reason, we must ask God for the grace and strength to speak to others in a kind and loving manner.

The Blessing of Opportunity

 

“At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison— that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.”

Colossians 4:3-4 ESV

 

We are all familiar with the calling that Christ has given to the Church. He’s called us to proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. And he’s called us to make disciples of all nations.

 

That being said, we often feel that our opportunities to do so are few. Even though we are continually surrounded by the lost, and even though we’re surrounded by people who need to hear the gospel, it doesn’t seem that the opportunity to do so frequently presents itself. We are then filled with guilt, as we haven’t carried out this calling. And we’re filled with frustration because our chances to do so have been so few.

 

What are we to do in such a case? We find the answer to this question in the verses above. And, as with all blessings, we find that we must look to the Lord.

 

As Paul wrote the book of Colossians, he was imprisoned. And I think it’s clear how circumstances like these could limit the chances he had to share the Word of God. Being separated and secluded from people definitely creates some limitations.

 

For this reason, Paul asked the Colossians to pray for him. He asked them to pray for himself, as well as for Timothy. And specifically, he asked them to pray for two things.

 

He asked them to pray that God would open to them a door for the Word, to proclaim the mystery of Christ. He, of course, couldn’t change his circumstances. He couldn’t provide or manufacture the opportunity to proclaim the Word. And, for this reason, he looked to the Lord to do so.

 

He asked them to pray also that he might make it clear. He asked them to pray that he might make the Word of God, that he might make the gospel, clear to those who heard. And the reason for this is plain. He desired that those who heard might understand the message.

 

This, then, is how we can pray for ourselves in the circumstances described earlier. As we experience limitations when it comes to sharing the gospel, and as we experience a lack of opportunities to do so, we must simply look to the Lord. We must look to the Lord trusting that he will supply both the people as well as the openings to do so.

 

This is also a wonderful way for us to pray for our missionaries. It’s a wonderful way for us to pray for our pastors. As we pray that God might use them to accomplish his purposes, we can ask that he’ll graciously provide for them the opportunity to share the gospel and clarity of speech that they might do so well.

 

As God desires that all should be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth, we know such prayers are in accordance with his will. And as he desires that none should perish but that all should reach repentance, we can be assured that he’ll graciously answer such a prayer. So, as we look to the Lord for his gracious provision in all things, let us look to him for these as well.

Prayer as God Intended

 “Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.”

‭‭Colossians‬ ‭4:2‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Even though most of us pray, we’d also readily admit that it’s an area of struggle. Even though we pray, we go through dry spells, where prayer is infrequent at best. And, as we pray, our attitude is often not what it should be.

Prayer, for many of us, is merely an obligation. It’s nothing more than an item to check off of our to-do list for the day. Knowing that God desires that we pray, and knowing that he’s called us to pray, we reluctantly give ourselves over to it.

Prayer, for many of us, also tends to be offered up as an act of wishful thinking. Although we certainly desire the things for which we ask, we are not confident that God will answer our prayer. In fact, we tend to believe that the odds of God answering our prayer are about equal to those of us winning the lottery.

However, although it’s true that God desires that we should pray, and although it’s true that we’re called to prayer, we’re called to do so with a very different attitude than that which I’ve just described. Prayer is to be not to be a chore or an obligation. Nor is it to be an act of wishful thinking.

 We see this in the above passage where we’re called to continue steadfastly in prayer. We’re called to be devoted to prayer. In other words, it’s not to be infrequent. It’s to be regular. It’s to be something to which we’re loyal and dedicated. It’s to be something with which we busy ourselves.

We’re called also to offer up our prayers with an attitude of faith. And this is very different from wishful thinking. We certainly desire those things for which we pray. However, we do not doubt that the Lord will answer our prayer. We fully trust that he will.

We see this as we’re told to be watchful in prayer with thanksgiving. Knowing that God has heard our prayer, and believing that he will answer it, we eagerly expect his blessing. We confidently expect that he will supply our need, just as he’s promised. And, for this reason, we’re able to have an attitude of thanksgiving before God has even answered our prayer. We’re able to thank God for his answer to our prayer which we know we’ll receive.

Serving Others in Service of God

“Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them. Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged. Bondservants, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality. Masters, treat your bondservants justly and fairly, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.”

Colossians 3:18-4:1 ESV

 

Even if we believe in the inerrancy of Scripture, and even if we believe that God’s Word is infallible, there are still passages that we can find difficult. In fact, there are passages that make us struggle and cause us to cringe. In short, even knowing that it’s the Word of God, we have a hard time receiving it as such.

 

I think we can all agree that the above passage is one of them. It addresses some rather touchy subjects. The truths it delivers are not politically correct today. And we often want nothing more than to ignore or to explain them away.

 

Wives are called to submit to their husband. They’re called to subject or to subordinate themselves to their husband. Husbands are called to love their wives and not be harsh with them. They’re to love their wife with a Christlike love, seeking to bless their wife at their own expense. Children are called to obey their parents. Bondservants are called to do the same with their master. And masters are to treat their bondservants justly and fairly.

 

We’re called to do so not only by way of eye service. We’re to do so not only when we’re being watched.  And we’re to do so not only as people-pleasers. We’re called to do so with sincerity of heart. In other words, we’re not only to go through the motions. We’re to gladly and willingly embrace our vocation.

 

We’re to do so, fearing the Lord. These are instructions that have been given to us by none other than God himself. And by refusing to live as we’ve been called is sinful in the eyes of God.

 

This, you see, is precisely the rub. Even knowing the command of God, we don’t feel that our husband is fit to place ourselves under. Even knowing the command of God, we don’t feel that our wife is deserving of love. Even knowing the command of God, we don’t feel that our parents deserve our obedience. Even knowing the command of God, we don’t feel that our masters are deserving of obedience. And even knowing the command of God, we don’t feel that our servants deserve fairness.

 

As we deal with this internal struggle, we must bear in mind who it is that we are serving. Sure, it’s true that we’re serving these people. But, ultimately, we’re serving the Lord.

 

Therefore, we’re to do all things as for the Lord. We’re to do them in his service. We’re to obey God’s call for his sake.

 

We’re to do so, even when it’s hard. We’re to do so even when it seems that there’s nothing in it for us. And we’re to do so because we know the source of our reward.

 

We’re to do so knowing that, even if we receive the appreciation of those whom we serve, it’s from the Lord that we’ll receive the inheritance as a reward. We’re to do so knowing that our reward isn’t given to us by man. We’re to do so knowing that from the Lord we’ll receive salvation.

 

And we can do so even if our circumstances are not ideal. We can do so having confidence that God is the judge. We can do so knowing that he will hold the wrongdoer to account. And we can do so knowing that his judgment is equitable.