334 of 365 - Walking & Talking

Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person. Colossians 4:5-6
 
Our words lose their power when our walk doesn’t match up to our talk. It doesn’t mean we are perfect or anywhere close to it, but we do care about showing Christ and a life in Christ. At the same time, we aren’t called to just go out and live a good life but not talk about it with others. The talking part is critical too! Paul shares instructions for evangelizing to non-believers that includes BOTH walking AND talking.
 
Walk in Wisdom: John Piper said of wisdom… “Wisdom is knowing what to do for the glory of God when the rule book runs out…It’s having a feel for the moment, and having an eye for what people need and want” 

Making the Best Use of Time: We should be walking in those open doors around us with a sense of urgency. We don’t want to miss opportunities that could be lost forever because we are too busy, too distracted, or too self-focused.

Gracious Speech:  Kind, humble, accommodating. We can be gracious in our speech without compromising truth. In such a polarizing cultural environment, gracious speech is a breath of fresh air.

Seasoned with Salt: Salt is used to make bland things taste better, as well as a preservative. How can we speak in a way that is full of life-giving truth and worthy of “tasting” what we are saying? Truth in a manner that is appealing, interesting, relevant, and as appetizing as possible. A message that is preserved in the recipient’s head and heart. Something they will think about again and desire to know more.

Personal: Paul says we ought to answer EASH person. In other words, it isn’t just a canned speech or a set formula for everyone. It is based on relationship and knowing something about the person and where they uniquely are in their life. It involves listening and responding accordingly.
 
Question: Which of these 5 things is easiest/hardest for you?