Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person. Colossians 4:6 ESV

“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.” Matthew 5:13 ESV

From time to time, I get messages from people responding to a blog post, a video, or a podcast episode I have done, and to my surprise, the majority of these messages are encouraging with people expressing gratitude, sharing their own stories of God helping them to understand the Word of God and to use Biblical discernment. It is a blessing when others share their stories. Though I do not wish for anyone to suffer or to endure difficult times when having their eyes opened to the truth, it is ironically comforting to know you’re not alone as is so easy to assume.

There are those who unfriend, unfollow or even block rather than engage in any conversation or mature disagreement as a believer in Christ. It is sad and ironic to me how much the herd thins and the love waxes cold when your speech becomes more Biblically sound and gospel centered. Then there are the messages I receive on occasion that test my salt. It is not a matter of negativity, but it is a recognition of the lingo, the actions, and the accusations I once embraced and utilized now being aimed in my direction.

When these messages come, I am learning how and when to pick my battles and to not respond as I once would have in being direct and abrasive. Frankly, that was a poor excuse to not cultivate the fruit of the Spirit in my life. The more I read Scripture, the more apparent it is that as a follower of Jesus Christ, He is to be sanctified as Lord in my life and in that, I am to be prepared to give a reason for the hope I have with gentleness and respect so that my conscience is clear and those who slander me may be put to shame by my good behavior in Christ. For those who may be troubled by that sentence, it is actually a Bible verse (1 Peter 3:15,16). I say that because I knew only a part of that verse, and it makes me squirm a bit that others would be put to shame by personal Godly conduct in response to their slander. But there it is in black and white.

When the time comes to respond, Colossians 4:6 comes to my remembrance, instructing me to extend grace to others with words seasoned with salt. The Word reminds me to not be arrogant in my thinking because it was not that long ago I was using the same tactics and believing the same things while misappropriating Scripture. It was only by the grace and mercy of God that my understanding was illuminated to see what was right in front of me. Our words are to be seasoned spiritually in maturity, keeping their flavor while preserving the gospel in our speech.

Resist the Urge to be Salty

If you have ever heard this slang term, then you know where I am going with this. To be salty in our society is to be aggressive, angry, or upset. The trouble is this way of being has seeped into the church. It is almost acceptable behavior by some to be “salty” and to be a follower of Jesus Christ. Being salty provides the temporal satisfaction of putting people in their place while being the aggressor. The problem is as a Christian, this behavior should be crucified. It is to be killed. The Word of God is clear in how we are to conduct ourselves, and it is a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. It does not mean we avoid proclaiming the truth and providing gentle guidance or correction back to the Word of God. It does mean that we exemplify His nature in demonstrating the fruit of the Spirit.

Being salty and acting in a worldly way glorifies the world. Using Godly wisdom and Biblical instruction so that our words are seasoned with salt glorifies Christ. It is sad to me that mentioning Biblical instruction or referring people back to Scripture spurns some to put the “P” badge (Pharisee) or the “L” badge (Legalist) on those who provide such insight. Our conduct testifies to whom we belong, and as Christians, our foundation for the truth is the Word of God in its proper context and understanding. That should not bring conflict among true believers in Christ.

More often than not, I now find myself thinking about my response and if it is going to honor God. If it is a situation where deception abounds, then I take the opportunity to share the gospel of Jesus Christ and to ask thought provoking yet respectful questions in response to their objections of my objections, which is usually when I meet resistance. It is ironic to me that when I was in the hyper Charismatic movement, I was typically met with praise for the words I wrote. They were neither challenged nor tested Biblically, and looking back, I wish someone had tested them and rebuked me. I wish someone wearing one of those badges had used seasoned words to point me back to Christ and to the narrow way. Now that I discuss concerns I have within this movement while taking things back to Scripture, the love has faded by some and so has the dialogue.

The responses can get salty at times, and by that I mean angry, aggressive, and even hyper spiritual. I actually enjoy the dialogue with respectful disagreement because it sharpens me for the next time, bringing spiritual growth both in the Word and in dealing with conflict. When it gets salty on the other end, I certainly do have to fight the temptation to reciprocate, but I also pray for that person. I ask the Lord to help me in honoring Him. I do not get it right every time. But keeping Christ at the forefront helps me to remember that He calls us to be salt and not “salty”. We all need the reminder as followers of Jesus Christ to put the Lord first and to take every opportunity we have to leave a conversation with seasoned words. In doing so, we resist the salty culture.