Let Your Conversation be ALWAYS full of Grace!

Yesterday I wrote about “seasoning” our words with grace, so today I wanted to consider this a bit more. I wrote about the “power’ of our words and said, “Consider Colossians 4:6, 'Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.' (NIV) As you begin your Fall ministries, commit to be a person whose conversation is always full of grace, seasoned with salt so as you serve the children and families in your church and community the 'echo' which results in their lives will 'shape' them with the grace God so richly lavishes on us!”

Certainly we all agree we need to guard against the careless word which has the potential to harm a child – or any other person as well, but along with guarding against the careless word, we also need to guard against the “intentional” word. How often have we used our words in an intentional manner to “shame” or “discount” another person or their ministry, but do so in a way which is subtle? For example, do we hold up a ministry in our own church while “tearing down” a ministry in another church? Do we say something along the effect of the following, “We used to do that in our ministry, but found it was a waste of time, money and energy. What we do now is so much better . . . ” While it may be true there are things we may have done in the past which, for whatever reason, we no longer do, it doesn’t mean other churches should also abandon that particular type of ministry. Nor does it mean what we are now doing is “better”, it just may be more effective in our particular ministry, with our particular people, community and culture.

Remember, the verse quoted above said to let or conversation be ALWAYS full of grace! As we serve this Fall, let’s guard against intentional words which are lacking in grace and strive to choose words which are saturated with grace!