Salt has a humble spot on our grocery lists. It’s not fancy or expensive. But imagine life without it! Salt preserves crunchy pickles, melts stubborn ice, adds zing to a bland steak, and helps heal a sore throat.

God also wants salt to season our speech. “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone” (Colossians 4:6).

So how well-seasoned is your speech?

Salty speech preserves relationships. It stops the rot of resentment with words like “I’m sorry” and “I forgive you.”

Salty speech melts stubborn hearts by being quick to encourage and compromise.

It sparkles with thanksgiving, putting zing into a bland day.

Or it helps heal the rawness of death by pointing to the Savior and his promise of heaven.

Salty speech is full of grace, ready to answer watercooler questions about our faith.

Sadly, the meals I make are usually better seasoned than my speech. I can talk all day without ever once giving away a clue to my listeners that I am a child of God. Instead I grumble, hold grudges, gossip, go dumb when I should share grace.

Forgive me, Jesus, for being stingy with the salt of your grace. You rescued me from the rot of sin. You melted the grip of death and the devil. Before I speak, let me pray, “Please pass the salt!” And teach me to season generously.