Salt and Pepper

Salt and pepper have never been appealing to me. When I was growing up, salt was evil. Think water retention and high blood pressure. And I’m not a spicy girl, so why would anyone use pepper? Chris and I were married for at least a decade before I caught on that he’d love to have salt and pepper on the table at every dinner. (Is it becoming clear why my family doesn’t rave about my culinary skills?) Even now, salt and pepper still don’t make it to the table on my hectic days.As we’re making our way to the final verses of Colossians, Paul’s words to the believers in Colossae centuries ago could’ve been spoken over a dinner table last night. Their relevance to our life couldn’t be more on target.

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)

First, consider what direction we’re called to walk. Yep, toward outsiders… not away from them. We aren’t called to stay in our Christian huddle all day long, but to intentionally move toward those who need the love of Christ. Who are you moving toward? If no one specific comes to mind, ask the Lord to show you who that person needs to be.Second, when it comes to the mention of salt in Scripture, I’ve always thought of salt as an analogy of a preservative. In my mind, salt wasn’t there as a picture of making something taste good, but to make something last. I would read this and think, “Never forget to confront people with truth… sprinkle it in.” However, as I looked at commentaries and different translations, I realized that wasn’t Paul’s meaning in this passage.In every area of our lives, approach trumps content. This is especially true in building a relationship with someone who Scripture calls an “outsider.” Unfortunately, most outsiders are turned off from God by Christians who, while well intentioned, come across more like a meat tenderizer than anything else. We’re either mute or malicious, but definitely not using salt the way Paul intended.[bctt tweet="Most outsiders are turned off from God by Christians who come across like a meat tenderizer."]It’s so easy as a Christian to think we’re right. There’s so much in our culture that’s wrong, but that’ll never change if believers forget the real meaning behind Paul’s wise instructions. Various commentaries say salt represents “savory, discrete, or seasonable.” Others say salt means “expressed with wit.”If we think about any conversation with any acquaintance or stranger, what makes us willing to continue engaging? It’s certainly not someone impressing us with their resume or shoving a personal opinion down our throats. Nothing will make us politely move on quicker. We stay engaged when it’s a pleasant conversation. At Highpoint, we use the phrase, “build a trusted friend for the sake of eternity.” God’s the one who saves, but when He uses us to be the bridge to an outsider, He gives us clear instruction: let your speech always be gracious.Where is your speech lacking in grace when interacting with someone who doesn’t follow Christ?If we want to bring the hope of Christ to this world, grace and wit make a beautiful start to a relationship. If you’re following Christ, people will see that in you as they spend time with you. May we all become intentional with our words and our movement toward those who need the hope we have. As the end of the verse affirms, every single person needs an answer. As you move toward someone with kindness, God will put you in the perfect position to be the answer they need.