Pinch of Salt

I’m not proud of it, but I am an admitted salt-a- holic. To me, salt makes almost any food taste better. There are certain foods I love to eat salted–that without salt, I don’t even like! A pinch of salt? Yes, please.

Health-wise, too much salt in a person’s diet can definitely be problematic. But in moderation, salt brings a food’s natural flavor to life. Salt contains nutrients that are not only beneficial, but
essential to the human body. Did you know that if you drink too much water, it can flush the sodium out of your system and cause a fatal condition called Hyponatremia?

In the book of Colossians, Paul uses salt to illustrate the importance of being gracious in
conversation. Just as salt provides a desirable seasoning for the food we eat, grace should
season the words we speak.

Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. 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 the New Living Translation of this passage, the phrase “seasoned with salt” is synonymously
described as “gracious and attractive.” In communicating with nonbelievers, our words should
be attractive–welcoming and full of flavor, to appeal to those who have not yet come to know
God.

Salt is a preservative. Besides adding flavor, it can extend the life of certain foods. Will your
words help or hinder the spread of Truth? Preserve it or destroy it? Without the grace of God,
our words are dull, tasteless, and ineffective. Matthew Henry wrote, “Grace is the salt that
seasons our discourse and keeps it from corrupting.”

In addition to its other uses, salt can actually help save lives. Did you know that in the United
States, more salt is used to de-ice frozen streets and highways in the winter months, than is
consumed in food year-round? Salt, in essence, clears the way. Shouldn’t that be true of the
words we speak? We should make the vital message of salvation clear and accessible. Words are forever. Positive or negative, once a word has been spoken, it can never be taken
back.

How gracious are we in the way that we behave and communicate? In our interaction with
others, let us consistently ask ourselves:

• Are my intentions pure?
• Is my tone kind?
• Do my words preserve truth?
• Are they attractive, meaningful, and clear?

As Christians, may we take great care in the words that we speak, prayerful that our conversations are pleasing to God and helpful in expanding His kingdom. And where our words lack flavor,  reservation, or clarity –may we always remember the simple recipe for improvement that we read about in Colossians: Just add a pinch (or more!) of salt!

--Kelly Mize