Your speech must always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person.
Our speech is a powerful resource but often we struggle with how to use it for God’s glory. When we share a hard moment with someone, we struggle to find the words to say and when we encounter a frustrating moment, we may say something we later regret. We know how words have affected us for good and for bad, but it is not always easy to respond in a Christlike way. When we follow Christ, our words are changed and shaped by His grace. We speak with love because He first loved us. We share hope because He has given us hope. Being filled with His direction, even our responses to critical and hurtful words can be transformed into love toward our enemies.
James 3:8-10 says, “But no one among mankind can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people, who have been made in the likeness of God; from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brothers and sisters, these things should not be this way.” In our own power, we cannot control our words. In our flesh, we speak without considering how our words impact others. In our flesh we tear people down and work for selfish ambition. It is only in Christ that our words can change to glorify Him. It is only by His grace changing the way we act and speak that we can share His hope with others and respond in a way that honors the Savior we are trying to proclaim.
- Who do you speak most unfiltered with? What might you say to them that you don’t normally say to others?
- How has Christ changed the way you respond when someone hurts you or challenges you
- Pray and ask God to transform your heart and your words to reflect Him in all you do.
