I hope you all enjoyed Digging Deeper last week. I was blown away by the response and can’t wait to dig deeper into God’s Word each week with you.
This week we are in Colossians 4:6. I love how God gives us the right verse just when we need it. There is a little behind the scenes story that happened this morning but I don’t have time to share it today so come back next Tuesday.
For now, let’s dig deeper into Colossians 4:6 *note I use the NIV Bible for my initial reading
· Step 1: Write out the verse:
Let your conversation be always full of grace,
seasoned with salt,
so that you may know how to answer everyone.
· Step 2: Look up the verse in other translations and make note of the differences.
Let your conversation (speech – ASV, NASB) be always full of grace (speech always be gracious – NET) (speech at all times be gracious, pleasant & winsome – AMP)
(as though – NASB) seasoned (as it were – AMP) with salt,
so that you may know (so that you may never be at a loss – AMP) how to answer everyone (each one – ASV) (anyone who puts a question to you – AMP) (will know how you should respond to each person – NASB)
(Be gracious in your speech. The goal is to bring out the best in others in a conversation, not put them down, not cut them out. – The Message)
· Step 3: Cross Reference the verse or specific words in the passage.
Mark 9:50 “Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with each other.” NIV
1 Peter 3:15 “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” NIV
· Step 4: Look key words up in concordance or dictionary to gain better understanding of the word.
Gracious – of a merciful or compassionate nature; kind
Conversation – (n) – informal interchange of thoughts; oral communication between persons, intimate acquaintance – (synonym) – dialogue, chat
Pleasant – (adj) – agreeable, enjoyable, polite – (synonym) – welcome, gratifying, delightful, friendly
Winsome – (adj) – sweetly or innocently charming, engaging
Grace – God’s free & unmerited favor for sinful humanity – (n) – mercy, clemency, pardon
Seasoned – (v) – to heighten or improve the flavor of, to make or become mature or experienced
Salt – (n) – an element that gives liveliness, piquancy or pungency, used for seasoning & preserving food – (v) – to season with salt, to cure, preserve or treat with salt, to spread, especially rock salt, on so as to melt snow or ice
· Step 5: Rewrite verse in your own words and ask questions God brings to mind or write notes on what He has revealed during the process.
May my conversations, speech and dialogues always be full of grace, be gracious, merciful, compassionate, pleasant, polite, friendly, winsome, engaging & innocently charming. How do I speak to my family (husband & kids), friends, acquaintances, even those I don’t get a long with? Do I speak merciful, compassionate & loving words to them? Do I build others up & encourage them with my words?
May my conversations be seasoned with salt. Do my conversations & words add light and flavor to people’s lives. Do the words I use melt the cold hearts and attitudes of others or does it harden the bad attitudes?
May my conversations be pure so that I will know how to answer anyone who questions me.
· Step 6: Through rewriting the verse and asking the questions/writing the notes you now have a direction to pray over the week.
Lord thank you that when we study your word and dig deeper we hear you speak to our hearts. Help us as we go about our week to speak words of encouragement to those around us. May the words that we use be used to melt cold hearts and bad attitudes. In Your Name I Pray, Amen
I would love for you to share in the comments how God used this verse to speak to your heart.
In His Calm,
