Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one. Colossians 4:6 (NKJV)
There is an old saying, "Every dog has its day," and it has been around for centuries. Shakespeare used it in the writing of his play, Hamlet.
"Let Hercules himself do what he may,
The cat will mew and dog will have his day."
The phrase carries the idea of every person inevitably having his or her own personal moment of glory. I have found this to be true, regardless of whether a person is good or bad. I guess you could say it is just like a weed having its moment in the sun right along side the prettiest of flowers.
There is something else commonly shared by the weed and the flower - they will both usually thrive as long as they are fed. Take away whatever sustains them and they will both die. But come next rain shower, those weeds always seem to be back, ready to sprout up once they are fed, and start the whole cycle all over again. I find this true about certain people as well - while some may have the characteristics of a beautiful flower, others seem to have the characteristics of the weed.
If you don't know what I am talking about, it is when you come along side a person and you encourage them in whatever they may be talking about. We don't have to necessarily fan the flame so to speak, but our mere participation seems to be the very fuel for these people. If the person is a flower, then the conversation will blossom and be about something good and wholesome.
But if the person is a weed, then it can turn into something non-edifying and slanderous in an instant. When this happens, we need to identify our encouragement or even just our participation in the conversation is the water and fertilizer, whether we meant it or not. And a weed seed will always bring forth a weed eventually.
For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. Matthew 15:19 (NKJV)
I think one of the saddest things I see within the Christian body is when one of these weedy types of people pops up within a Church congregation. They start out so nice and pleasant, saying all the right things. But before you know it, there is a trail of rotten fruit, such as division, arguments, and broken relationships in their wake, as they cannot resist talking about others.
But their desire to develop these friendships with so many people is just a front to network and weave themselves into their lives. They are constantly prompting others to confide in them, as they gather data about details they should know nothing about. Soon they are bad mouthing others while claiming to be a caring friend.
The sad thing about these weed-people is that the innocent people who are befriending them, are the very ones who are fertilizing them. And they are the ones who usually become either part of, or the target of the gossip before long. I believe this was the very type of people the Psalmist was speaking of in Psalm 64.
Hear my voice, O God, in my meditation; Preserve my life from fear of the enemy. Hide me from the secret plots of the wicked, From the rebellion of the workers of iniquity, Who sharpen their tongue like a sword, And bend their bows to shoot their arrows - bitter words, That they may shoot in secret at the blameless; Suddenly they shoot at him and do not fear. They encourage themselves in an evil matter; They talk of laying snares secretly; They say, Who will see them? Psalms 64:1-5 (NKJV)
First of all, I am not against getting good advice or counsel as I believe there is great safety in the multitude of counselors - in fact we are told this in God's Word (See Proverbs 11:14; 15:22; 24:6). Nonetheless, we must be very careful as to whom we share the details of our life with. We should never go horizontal (to people) before we go vertical (to God). Talk to God, because He is always listening. Ask Him what you should do, or to whom you should get counsel from, because He will direct you.
Secondly, we need to be very careful who we are not the ones fertilizing the weeds. We need to take stock of what is coming out of people's mouth. Are they defending those who are not there to defend themselves, or are they eager to gossip about others? Are they quick to add something negative to a conversation, or quick to defend others and suggest prayer?
Hey Christian, I want to encourage you to always think before you speak. Take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ (See 2Cor 10:5). If what you are thinking about speaking is not going to build others up, then get rid of it out of your mind. Next, make it a point to stop any conversation not edifying. If you find you cannot turn the conversation by suggesting prayer or speaking positively, then remind those who are speaking of the responsibility they have to obey God by holding their tongue. Let's not be the fertilizer to someones garbage mouth.
STUDY QUESTION: What does Colossians 4:6 tell us our speech should be like?
PERSONAL INVENTORY: Do you find your speech to always be seasoned with grace (unmerited favor)?
APPLICATION: Make it a point to only speak good about others, and to shut down any conversation where others are speaking badly about someone.
There is an old saying, "Every dog has its day," and it has been around for centuries. Shakespeare used it in the writing of his play, Hamlet.
"Let Hercules himself do what he may,
The cat will mew and dog will have his day."
The phrase carries the idea of every person inevitably having his or her own personal moment of glory. I have found this to be true, regardless of whether a person is good or bad. I guess you could say it is just like a weed having its moment in the sun right along side the prettiest of flowers.
There is something else commonly shared by the weed and the flower - they will both usually thrive as long as they are fed. Take away whatever sustains them and they will both die. But come next rain shower, those weeds always seem to be back, ready to sprout up once they are fed, and start the whole cycle all over again. I find this true about certain people as well - while some may have the characteristics of a beautiful flower, others seem to have the characteristics of the weed.
If you don't know what I am talking about, it is when you come along side a person and you encourage them in whatever they may be talking about. We don't have to necessarily fan the flame so to speak, but our mere participation seems to be the very fuel for these people. If the person is a flower, then the conversation will blossom and be about something good and wholesome.
But if the person is a weed, then it can turn into something non-edifying and slanderous in an instant. When this happens, we need to identify our encouragement or even just our participation in the conversation is the water and fertilizer, whether we meant it or not. And a weed seed will always bring forth a weed eventually.
For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. Matthew 15:19 (NKJV)
I think one of the saddest things I see within the Christian body is when one of these weedy types of people pops up within a Church congregation. They start out so nice and pleasant, saying all the right things. But before you know it, there is a trail of rotten fruit, such as division, arguments, and broken relationships in their wake, as they cannot resist talking about others.
But their desire to develop these friendships with so many people is just a front to network and weave themselves into their lives. They are constantly prompting others to confide in them, as they gather data about details they should know nothing about. Soon they are bad mouthing others while claiming to be a caring friend.
The sad thing about these weed-people is that the innocent people who are befriending them, are the very ones who are fertilizing them. And they are the ones who usually become either part of, or the target of the gossip before long. I believe this was the very type of people the Psalmist was speaking of in Psalm 64.
Hear my voice, O God, in my meditation; Preserve my life from fear of the enemy. Hide me from the secret plots of the wicked, From the rebellion of the workers of iniquity, Who sharpen their tongue like a sword, And bend their bows to shoot their arrows - bitter words, That they may shoot in secret at the blameless; Suddenly they shoot at him and do not fear. They encourage themselves in an evil matter; They talk of laying snares secretly; They say, Who will see them? Psalms 64:1-5 (NKJV)
First of all, I am not against getting good advice or counsel as I believe there is great safety in the multitude of counselors - in fact we are told this in God's Word (See Proverbs 11:14; 15:22; 24:6). Nonetheless, we must be very careful as to whom we share the details of our life with. We should never go horizontal (to people) before we go vertical (to God). Talk to God, because He is always listening. Ask Him what you should do, or to whom you should get counsel from, because He will direct you.
Secondly, we need to be very careful who we are not the ones fertilizing the weeds. We need to take stock of what is coming out of people's mouth. Are they defending those who are not there to defend themselves, or are they eager to gossip about others? Are they quick to add something negative to a conversation, or quick to defend others and suggest prayer?
Hey Christian, I want to encourage you to always think before you speak. Take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ (See 2Cor 10:5). If what you are thinking about speaking is not going to build others up, then get rid of it out of your mind. Next, make it a point to stop any conversation not edifying. If you find you cannot turn the conversation by suggesting prayer or speaking positively, then remind those who are speaking of the responsibility they have to obey God by holding their tongue. Let's not be the fertilizer to someones garbage mouth.
STUDY QUESTION: What does Colossians 4:6 tell us our speech should be like?
PERSONAL INVENTORY: Do you find your speech to always be seasoned with grace (unmerited favor)?
APPLICATION: Make it a point to only speak good about others, and to shut down any conversation where others are speaking badly about someone.
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