Seasoned with salt

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

Proverbs 15:1
“A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”

In our home we’ve been learning these lessons.  And I’m beenamazed!  I know that the Word of God is powerful and applicable,but seeing these verses at work in my two little boys has just amazed me! I know this may sound silly, but I honestly had no idea how seasoningour speech with “salt” and giving a “soft answer” could change theentire “tone” of our day!

So, what does seasoning our speech with “salt” and giving a “softanswer” look like in our home?  Glad you asked!!  Over thepast couple of weeks I started to notice that my boys were not playingtogether very happily.  Lots of fighting, anger, fits and justmean spiritedness….that’s just plain old being unkind!  And I alsonoticed that it had to do with the words (or lack of words) that myboys were speaking to each other!  For example:  Carlos has atoy and Jeremiah would like to play with that same toy.  Jeremiahreaches (or asks) for the toy and Carlos jerks it away and says,“that’s mine, you can’t have it!”  And then Jeremiah proceeds tothrow a fit or still tries to get the toy.  This scenario washappening 20 times every day…..I’m pooped!  

So here comes the salt!  I started with Carlos since he was olderand had a better understanding of how to “season with salt”.  Sonow when Jeremiah asks for something that Carlos has, instead ofanswering, “that’s mine”, he says, “Jeremiah when I’m finished playingwith this toy, you may have it”.  And do you know that Jeremiahhas never ONCE thrown a fit after getting that answer from Carlos!  NOT ONCE!! The  “gentle answer” really does “turns away wrath”!!  Not only are my boys playing together in harmony, but Carlos gentleanswer is keeping Jeremiah from sinning!  Wow!  What apowerful lesson that is to me.  My response to someone else couldkeep them from sinning!

And so today, I strive to season my speech with the salt of a gentle answer.