Gracious & Salty Saints

Hey, readers! I realize it’s been a while. I apologize to you for being so infrequent, but at the same time, I’m not sorry because I’ve had different outlets to relay the things the Lord has shown me. It’s been exciting to share, encourage, challenge, and equip others through a summer youth girls Bible study and my recent mission trip to Prague. Thank you for all your prayers! In fact, what I am about to share was my morning devotional for our American and Czech team, which I derived from my Bible study with youth girls at church. Also, I’m taking the liberty of adjusting it since I originally geared the devotional for translation, verbal communication, and time limitations.

Tuesday Prague Devo: Gracious & Salty

Context

We will be in Colossians 4. The context for Colossians is that Paul is in prison because he takes every opportunity “to declare the mystery of Christ” (v3). Although he has never met the people of Colossae, he finds it important enough to use his apostolic authority and write this letter to them.

In the beginning of the book, you learn that the Colossians are doing well in their faith, and Paul praises them for this. However, the new Christians are surrounded by threats that could endanger their faith, specifically false teachers and doctrine.

Paul addresses false doctrine and explains the truth. After that, he writes about what to do with it, because knowledge is useless unless applied to our daily lives. 

Colossians 4:2-6 talks about both the prayer closet (private life) and the public street (public life). 

Scripture

“Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison— that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.”

My focus is on verses 5-6.

“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.”

Public Life for Jesus

How should we live our public life?

How to make our words and deeds benefit God’s kingdom:

ONE “Walk in wisdom towards outsiders” v5

1. The way you live or carry yourself (WALK) should be intentional and cautious (WISDOM) towards nonbelievers.

2. Note the word “towards.” We aren’t to avoid nonbelievers like the Jews avoided the Samaritans. It’s as if, to witness to nonbelievers, we must take steps towards them and always face them with wise behavior.

3. It is possible for our witness to lose its tastefulness (allusion to salt reference later on). How will a nonbeliever respect what we have to say to them if our actions are disrespectful?

TWO “The best use of time” v5

1. We will only have a short time with these campers, so we must be diligent to be good stewards of God’s grace. If these moments are truly as fleeting as we preach, then why waste them on building earthly treasures that fade away instead of heavenly treasures that endure forever? 

THREE v6 speaks on gracious and salt

1. Gracious could refer to either God’s grace or human graciousness, which works both ways.

2. Salt means wit or sense. My coworker shared with me the term “salty saint,” which is the mindset I adopted for this mission trip.

3. See, Paul shared the Gospel with many people. Using logic (SALT), he reasoned of God’s grace (what/topic) graciously (how/delivery) because of God’s grace (why/reason). 

   1. [side note: By God’s grace, the reading plan I have been doing with the church youth students walked through Acts and Romans prior to going to Prague. In this reading, I was inspired by how Paul testified of this Good News that I also aim to share. It gave me a good refresher on how to relate (in both knowledge and attitude) to my audience for the sake of God’s kingdom! God works in the details!]

All these things we do in our public life (how we behave, spend our time, and share the Gospel) contribute to our witness, which we must preserve. We desire our witness to be tasteful like salt.

Matthew 5:13-16 speaks on this, which I will end with.

You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.  Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

*Content heavily inspired by David Guzik's Enduring Word Commentary