Colossians 4:2–6 ‘Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt…’ (v6)
We’ve looked at Paul’s letter to the Colossians mostly from a point of view of our own personal growth in our commitment to Christ.
In this passage, however, we see that we cannot forget the gospel imperative to share our faith with others. We shouldn’t live in a closed-off colony where we’re concerned only for fellow believers, but rather should seek that others too will know the life-saving nature of God’s redemption through Jesus.
After all, Paul encourages the Colossian Christians to devote themselves to prayer (v2), that they and Paul can ‘proclaim the mystery of Christ’ (v3) – that which he has outlined in the earlier chapters.
He urges them to marry their prayer with their actions, that they will go forth with wisdom and that they won’t squander opportunities to share their faith with grace and the salty speech which provokes thought (v6).
We might, if we’re firmly established in our church community, have to remind ourselves to watch for opportunities to engage with people in our local community.
Otherwise we could easily fall into an inward- looking state where we don’t venture out of Christian circles. But when we’re able to talk with people of other faiths or none, we are enriched by our encounters with them – whether through the joy of sharing our faith or by learning why they believe what they do.
Paul would want us never to forget the urgency of proclaiming Christ and His mystery, being wise as we make the most of these opportunities.
A Prayer To Make:
‘Lord Jesus Christ, Paul was in chains for proclaiming You, and around the world many others suffer in this way. We pray for justice and release. Amen.’
An Action To Take:
Pray for, and then act upon, an opportunity to share your faith with someone, your speech seasoned with salt.
Scripture To Consider:
Lev. 19:33–34; Jer. 22:1–3; Matt. 28:19–20; Eph. 2:8–9
