Have you ever ordered food at a restaurant, tasted it, and found it was too salty? What about a plate of food that lacked salt? Which did you send back? The one that had too much salt. Why? Because you can add salt to unflavored food, but when there’s too much salt, you can’t take it out and the food is inedible. It’s the same way when we’re speaking with one another, especially those we disagree with. I’ve seen some ugly words in posts from people who disagree politically, religiously and even with sports teams. When there’s too much salt, the other side sends it back. They don’t listen, but instead reject it. There’s no problem with disagreeing, but the amount of seasoning you use in your words determines if it makes them thirsty for more or if they return it.
In Daniel 2, King Nebuchadnezzar had a troubling dream. Verse 2 says, “So the king summoned the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers and astrologers to tell him what he had dreamed” (NIV). They couldn’t, so they kept asking him to tell them his dream and they would interpret it. Their exchange went on and got so heated that he decided to have all of them in his kingdom put to death. When they came for Daniel, he asked why there was such a harsh decree. Verse 14 says Daniel spoke with wisdom and tact, and he was taken to the king to ask for some time to interpret the dream. He went to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to ask for prayer that God would reveal the dream to him. When God did, he went back to the king to tell him the dream and interpret it. How he spoke to the king made all the difference and he saved the lives of many people.
Colossians 4:5-6 says, “Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” Outsiders here refers to people outside of the faith in Jesus. It also says we should make the most of these opportunities when we talk to them. We should use wisdom and tact in our words the way Daniel did. While the other people attacked the king for what he was asking, Daniel used grace and speech that was seasoned with just enough salt to reach the king and to get him to listen. Let the Holy Spirit guide your conversations with people of different faiths or of no faith at all. He will help you to speak with salt so that others will be drawn to what you say instead of rejecting it.
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