“Salty” has become a slang term used for someone who bites back when they feel that they have been wronged.
Many of us can reflect on times when we have been “salty” with others. Our words can sting like salt rubbed in an open wound.
Different Kind Of Salty
However, did you know that the Bible exhorts us to have a different kind of salty speech?
In Colossians 4:6 Paul says,
“Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt”.
Just as salt is used to make food taste better, we can improve our speech by “seasoning” it with grace.
The Perfect Example
The Lord Jesus provided the perfect example of this in Luke 4 when “all were speaking well of Him, and wondering at the gracious words which were falling from His lips”.
He never snapped back at people or became irritable with them, even when those around Him tried to provoke a reaction.
His gracious words became a talking point for the people listening to Him. If we endeavour to follow Christ’s example and speak graciously, then we will stand out.
By our speech, we can show the character of Christ to those who are not saved.
Preservation
Salt is also used to preserve. What we say, and how we say it, can impact the Christian walk of our fellow brothers and sisters.
Wholesome
Paul instructed the Ephesian Christians in this when he wrote,
“Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification…so that it will give grace to those who hear.”
Therefore, our speech should be wholesome and pure so that we do not stumble our fellow Christians.
Encouraging
We can also preserve one another through encouragement and exhortation.
There are many people in our world who tear others apart with their words. We are all familiar with “trolls” who leave damaging and hurtful comments online.
Christians are called on to preserve with their speech, not to destroy; this includes online.
Just as Paul told the Thessalonian believers to “encourage one another and build up one another”, the best way to avoid becoming a spiritual “troll” is to be an encourager.
In every conversation, call, group chat or social media post let us all try to be less “salty” in the worldly sense. Instead let us speak graciously to be a witness to others and preserve and encourage our fellow Christians.
