Your conversation....Pepper or Salt?

[Fragrant Grace]

Out of the overflow of the heart--the mouth speaks.
Matthew 12:34

Hence we must get our heart right--if we would speak words that are Christlike.
A bitter heart cannot give out sweet words--nor can an impure heart speak wholesome, pure words.

Most people talk too much--they chatter on forever.
Silence is far better than idle, sinful, or foolish speech.

We have suggestions in the New Testament as to the kind of speech that is worthy of a redeemed life.
Paul has some very plain words on the subject:

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 impart grace to the hearers.
Ephesians 4:29.

That is, no word should be spoken which does not . . .
help to build up character,
make those who hear it better,
inspire some good thought, some holy feeling, some kindly act,
or put some touch of beauty upon the life.

A Christian's words should "impart grace to the hearers."
That is, they should impart blessing in some way.
We all know people whose words have this quality.
They are not always exhorting, preaching, or talking religiously--and yet we never speak with them without being the better for it.
Their simplest words do us good.
They give cheer, courage, and hope.
We feel braver and stronger after a little conversation with them, even after a moment's greeting on the street.

In another place Paul says,

"Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone." Colossians 4:6.

This means graceful speech, not merely as to its manner--but also as to its quality. It must be speech such as Christ Himself would use if He were in our place, and we know that every word of His was a holy seed.
Our speech is to be "full of grace"--it is to be true, reverent, helpful, inspiring.

Our speech should be "seasoned with salt," that is, it should be pure and clean.
Salt preserves from decay and putridity.
The Christian's speech should have in it the divine quality of holiness, and its effect should be cleansing and purifying.
Someone speaks of the words of Jesus as a handful of spices cast into this world's bitter waters to sweeten them.
Every Christian's words should have like influence in society, wherever they are spoken.

The seasoning is important--our speech is to be "seasoned with salt."
Love is salt.
Truth is salt.
Our speech should be always kindly.
It should be without bitterness, without malice, without unlovingness in any form.
The seasoning should be salt. Some people use pepper instead--and pepper is sharp, biting, pungent.
Their speech is full of sarcasm, of censure, of bitterness, of words that hurt and burn.
This is not Christlike speech.

We should never be content to talk even five minutes with another, without saying at least a word or two that may do good, that may give a helpful impulse or kindle an upward aspiration

JR Miller - Christian Conversation

 

[B-A-C]

Matt 12:36; "But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment.

Matt 5:22; "But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, 'You good-for-nothing,' shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, 'You fool,' shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.

Jas 1:26; If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is worthless.
Jas 3:5; So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire!

1 Jn 3:18; Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.

 

[Chad]

This is powerful and definitely pierces the heart. It's amazing how difficult it is (for me at least) to refrain from responding bluntly to certain people who critique you or someone else you love.

Lord have mercy. God is not taking our tongue lightly. It is the heart spoken, good or bad.

Thanks for sharing @Fragrant Grace

 

[Brighthouse]

I wish to thank you Fragrant Grace for this reminder as well! Colossians 3:1-4 verse 2!! SET YOUR MIND!! In some cases as for myself reset it!! Take note of,remember to always do!( 2 cor 13:5) beyond all these things put on love! Which is the perfect bond of unity!( col 3:14-17) Be and stay thankful, for this is the very will of God himself for us to do!( 1 thess 5:18) And from this,verse 16 takes root and grows in us. and then when we fully know and understand this,verse 17 is always present! Thanks again sis!

 

[Fragrant Grace]

Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:
And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.
Ephesians 4:31-32

Greetings @Chad @Brighthouse @B-A-C

Thank you for your responses.
I receive a daily sermon....this is the next one that arrived.....fitting nicely with the salt and pepper sermon.

JR Miller - Getting Along With People 1898

At every point as we go on into the thickening experiences of life--the lesson of living with others meets us.
It is not always easy to gracefully accept these contacts with others, and to enter into kindly relations with them.

There are some people who seem to be very good alone, while no one comes near them, while no other life touches theirs, when they have to think of no one but themselves--
who make wretched business of living when they come into personal relations with others!

Then they are selfish, tyrannical, despotic, willful, and exacting!
They will not yield to any other one's desire or needs.
They must have their own way;
and they drive their life like a rough plow-share right through the comforts, the desires, the feelings, of others!

It seems almost a pity there could not be a few corners fenced off in this great world for such people as these,
where they could live altogether alone,
with no one ever to interfere with their rights or liberties, or to impinge upon their comfort in any way.

But this is not God's ordinance for human lives.
We are to live together in families, in communities, in friendship's circle.
Indeed, no worse fate could befall us, than to be doomed to live alone.
We might thus be absolved from the duties of love,
we could then have our own way,
we would not be required to think of anybody but ourselves,
and there would be no call for self-denial or sacrifice.
But meanwhile, we would be growing into monsters of selfishness!

We never can learn love's lessons, except in life's school, where the lessons are set for us in actual human relationships.
********

Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:
1 Peter 3:8

 

[SpiritLedEd]

We have suggestions in the New Testament as to the kind of speech that is worthy of a redeemed life.
Paul has some very plain words on the subject:

Before I came to Christ I gave no thought whatever to any of these things. It wasn't until the Holy Spirit had had some time to change me that a desire for these things began to blossom in me.

SLE

 

[PrayerWarr1or]

The mouth is an open sepulchre indeed if not watched. I pray to the Lord now for his silence in wisdom, and that He be the one that tells me what to say and not those selfish workings of the enemy

 

[Fragrant Grace]

The mouth is an open sepulchre indeed if not watched. I pray to the Lord now for his silence in wisdom, and that He be the one that tells me what to say and not those selfish workings of the enemy

Yes I do the same @PrayerWarr1or

My flesh so often wants to retaliate and say things that would not be kind, gentle or glorifying to the Lord
I have to say Lord guard my tongue, may my words only be Yours oh Lord

The Lord is so good and if we wait on Him, He will guide our tongues so that in our speech and words, we serve Him in love and truth

Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:
And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.
Ephesians 4:29-31

 

[Victor9509]

I try to hear him. I really do but it like doesnt work for me.
I really want hear Gods words.
what must I do?
Help

 

[Fragrant Grace]

I try to hear him. I really do but it like doesnt work for me.
I really want hear Gods words.
what must I do?
Help

Greetings @Victor9509

There is a wonderful promise in God's word.....and it never ever fails.

Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.
Proverbs 3:5-6

Take the verse bit by bit and tell the Lord everything......

Lord I want to trust in Thee with my whole heart, flush out any doubts and fears
With my own understanding I can do nothing, but I know I can trust You to lead and guide me.
Thou are the almighty God, the Lord of all and I commit my every step to Thee knowing that Thy way never fails

You may not hear an audible voice Victor (Im not sure that many people do)
But I do believe the Lord gives us clear signs, convictions or opens up scripture to show us the way.
He loves you so much Victor that He wants to commune with you and show you His ways

Remember He will not lead us in a path that is against His will or against the word

The babble of the world around us is often so deafening
Take time to be alone with the Lord in prayer and reading the Bible
You will be richly blessed brother

Bless you

Drop Thy still dews of quietness,
Till all our strivings cease;
Take from our souls the strain and stress,
And let our ordered lives confess
The beauty of Thy peace.

Breathe through the heats of our desire
Thy coolness and Thy balm;
Let sense be dumb, let flesh retire;
Speak through the earthquake, wind, and fire,
O still, small voice of calm.*


*John G Whittier 1872...verses from hymn Dear Lord and Father of mankind

 

[Victor9509]

Yo those green paragraphs ... Those are like so me,
im speechless :shade:

 

[Chad]

Before I came to Christ I gave no thought whatever to any of these things. It wasn't until the Holy Spirit had had some time to change me that a desire for these things began to blossom in me.

SLE

Same here brother. The way I used to speak even as a Christian in the beginning was disgraceful. I'm grateful that The Lord has patiently taught me over time that our words have tremendous power.

Even when we joke around, it can have a serious effect on our testimony

I try to hear him. I really do but it like doesnt work for me.
I really want hear Gods words.
what must I do?
Help

Read the Word. That's the primary source to know what God wants us to do, think and how we should live life.

 

[Fragrant Grace]

Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.
Proverbs 18:21


Words are little things — but they sometimes strike hard. We wield them so easily that we are apt to forget their hidden power.
Fitly spoken, they fall like the sunshine, the dew, and the fertilizing rain.
But when spoken unfitly, they damage like the frost, the hail, and the desolating tempest.
Some men speak as they feel or think, without calculating the effect of what they say; and then seem very much surprised if anyone is hurt or offended.
(Timothy Shay Arthur...19th century)



There is that speaketh like the piercings of a sword: but the tongue of the wise is health
Proverbs 12:18

Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones
Proverbs 16:24

 

[TheWidowsOffering]

Out of the overflow of the heart--the mouth speaks.
Matthew 12:34

Hence we must get our heart right--if we would speak words that are Christlike.
A bitter heart cannot give out sweet words--nor can an impure heart speak wholesome, pure words.

Most people talk too much--they chatter on forever.
Silence is far better than idle, sinful, or foolish speech.

We have suggestions in the New Testament as to the kind of speech that is worthy of a redeemed life.
Paul has some very plain words on the subject:

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 impart grace to the hearers.
Ephesians 4:29.

That is, no word should be spoken which does not . . .
help to build up character,
make those who hear it better,
inspire some good thought, some holy feeling, some kindly act,
or put some touch of beauty upon the life.

A Christian's words should "impart grace to the hearers."
That is, they should impart blessing in some way.
We all know people whose words have this quality.
They are not always exhorting, preaching, or talking religiously--and yet we never speak with them without being the better for it.
Their simplest words do us good.
They give cheer, courage, and hope.
We feel braver and stronger after a little conversation with them, even after a moment's greeting on the street.

In another place Paul says,

"Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone." Colossians 4:6.

This means graceful speech, not merely as to its manner--but also as to its quality. It must be speech such as Christ Himself would use if He were in our place, and we know that every word of His was a holy seed.
Our speech is to be "full of grace"--it is to be true, reverent, helpful, inspiring.

Our speech should be "seasoned with salt," that is, it should be pure and clean.
Salt preserves from decay and putridity.
The Christian's speech should have in it the divine quality of holiness, and its effect should be cleansing and purifying.
Someone speaks of the words of Jesus as a handful of spices cast into this world's bitter waters to sweeten them.
Every Christian's words should have like influence in society, wherever they are spoken.

The seasoning is important--our speech is to be "seasoned with salt."
Love is salt.
Truth is salt.
Our speech should be always kindly.
It should be without bitterness, without malice, without unlovingness in any form.
The seasoning should be salt. Some people use pepper instead--and pepper is sharp, biting, pungent.
Their speech is full of sarcasm, of censure, of bitterness, of words that hurt and burn.
This is not Christlike speech.

We should never be content to talk even five minutes with another, without saying at least a word or two that may do good, that may give a helpful impulse or kindle an upward aspiration

JR Miller - Christian Conversation

Thanks Sis. Julia for sharing this thread. I have been praying for some time already about a topic like this to share with my group mates in our church. Having a real concern on this to the point am having doubts to bring new souls because I'm afraid what kind of example they would see among us here? This is now my second time reading the thread, so timely, because just today it's been confirmed I'll gonna exhort to our group this coming next Sunday and I just pray this material could help us all to grow in the image and likeness of God in Christ Jesus who is in us here. Again thank you so much.

Some people use pepper instead--and pepper is sharp, biting, pungent.

HAHA. Now I remember an incident ten years ago during a youth gathering (Bible Study) in a public place. As the gathering has started, some other youths (outsiders) joined. At the end of the study, some of the outsiders threw questions and one is seemed just doing it for insult. I start having a tickling ear (LOL) so I began to reason out with him in a very sarcastic way. Since then, we never saw him again.

After the Bible Study, the youth leader (19y/o) called my attention and rebuke me lol (i'm getting 25) . I'm their senior adviser that time and I'm thankful for his life because though he is that young, he took the courage and boldness to correct and teach an older sister like me. hehe:smiley: :shade: .. Until now, if I choose to can still be that sarcastic as I was before. But praise be to God our Father and to our Lord Jesus Christ, who is able to change us from glory to glory, from faith to faith and from strength to strength. Amen and amen!

Proverbs 11:30The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.

 

[Dreamer]

Recently, I heard a sermon on tv about salt. The preacher said that salt in the bible days didn't have preservatives in it like today's salt. They said it was in big pieces, not refined like today, and that it had a lot of extra junk in it that was not salt. After salt sat around for awhile, all the good stuff got used up from it, and all that was left was useless little "rock-lets" or mineral-like substances that didn't have any salty taste at all. I found that so interesting! That's what Paul meant when he said "if the salt loses its saltiness, what good is it?"