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SEASONED WITH SALT: PRAYERFULLY AND GRACIOUSLY (COLOSSIANS 4:2-6)

REFLECTION

The theme for our reflection is “Seasoned with salt: Prayerfully and Graciously” Food is seasoned with salt to make it taste better. In other words, Salt naturally suppresses bitter flavours and at the same time enhances aromas. Salt can lower unpleasant tastes and amplify the natural aromas of the food being seasoned. (Source: mexicanplease.com/art-seasoning-much-salt-use/ ) Prayerfully means being reverent and earnest. To graciously means to act or speak in a courteous, kind, and pleasant manner. Season with salt means our words or conversation must be reverent, polite and pleasant. We shall reflect on the fact that for us to be impactful and transforming agents of the Gospel, we must endeavour to prayerfully and graciously communicate to everyone.

Beloved in the Lord, we can not transform the world or make an impact in the world as disciples of Christ if we cannot prayerfully and graciously communicate with people. It is for this reason Paul admonished us in his letter to the Colossian church, “Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. 6 Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” (Colossians 4:5-6) In other words, we must treat people with respect and use words that are courteous, kind and pleasant without compromising the truth. Again, we are admonished by Paul in Ephesians 4:29, Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” Indeed, our ultimate example of communication is our Lord Jesus Christ, Jesus uses parables to reveal spiritual truth to His audience. We must always pray for wisdom and the ability to speak prayerfully and graciously for our listeners to experience the power of God at work in us. Jesus said “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.” (Luke 4:18-19) It takes prayer and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit to make utterances or speak words that are seasoned with salt. In other words, we continually rely on the guidance of the Holy Spirit through prayer we shall graciously have an impact on our listeners and be able to preach the Gospel for the transformation of many. The Psalmist knows the importance of prayer in influencing our speech and meditation, therefore he prayed, May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer. (Psalms 19:14). It is important to assess ourselves when speaking to people by asking the question “Will the words am I about to speak be pleasing to God?” If words will not be pleasing to God then they are not worth listening to.

We must be prayerful and gracious in our speech, especially in times of anger. Sometimes people may offend us and may provoke unfavourable and abusive reactions from us but we must always remember that we are children of God and disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ. We must continually pray and discipline ourselves such that even in times of anger or annoyance our answers will be gracious, for “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” (Proverbs 15:1). Again we must remember that Fools give full vent to their rage, but the wise bring calm in the end. Proverbs 29:11. It is also important for us to remember that “A hot-tempered person stirs up conflict,

but the one who is patient calms a quarrel.” (Proverbs 15:18). Let us be guided by the Word of God in our communication and make Jesus our example then we shall be ..“the salt of the earth. (Matthew 5:13) that prayerfully and graciously makes an impact and draws people to Christ through our communication and relationship with them.

In summary, we have discovered that to be impactful and transforming agents of the Gospel, we must endeavour to prayerfully and graciously communicate to everyone. Shalom

PRAYER

May the Holy Spirit empower us to be transforming agents of the Gospel through our communication and relationships. Amen