Tuesday, December 2 Let your words always be gracious, seasoned with salt.​—Col. 4:6.

[Áine]

Tuesday, December 2

Let your words always be gracious, seasoned with salt.—Col. 4:6.

 

If we express ourselves with tact and mildness, people may be more willing to listen and to continue the conversation. Of course, if someone wants to win a debate or to ridicule our beliefs, we are not obligated to answer him further. (Prov. 26:4) But such a person may be the exception; some—perhaps many—will listen. Clearly, there is great value in making mildness a personal goal. Pray to Jehovah for the strength you need to remain mild when responding to controversial questions or unjust criticism. Remember, your mild attitude can prevent differences of opinion from escalating into arguments. And your mild, respectful answer may actually move some listeners to change their view about us and about Bible truths. Be “always ready to make a defense” of your beliefs, “doing so with a mild temper and deep respect.” (1 Pet. 3:15) Yes, let mildness be your strength! w23.09 19 ¶18-19

[dljbsp]

Notice what the writer is drawing our attention to. Mildness isn’t a decorative trait; it’s stabilizing. When a conversation starts to heat up, people instinctively look for the one person who isn’t being carried by the current. A gracious voice becomes that anchor. Paul ties this to the picture of salt — something that preserves, something that slows decay. When our words carry that quality, they keep the moment from spoiling.

Now consider the contrast. If someone is pushing debate or aiming to ridicule, Scripture cautions us not to “answer the fool according to his foolishness” — not because we lack an answer, but because the exchange will shape us if we step into it. Mildness isn’t weakness; it’s control. It’s choosing how we respond instead of letting provocation choose for us.

What do we learn? A mild reply can change more than a mood. It can redirect a person’s view of Jehovah’s people, sometimes in a way we never hear about. It also protects our own heart, keeping it clear enough to keep teaching, keep listening, keep representing the One who is Himself “ready to forgive.”

So the reminder is steady and simple: let mildness be the strength you carry into every conversation. It will guard you, and it may open someone else.

[jwhess]

Certainly a matching scripture for Br. Lett's Gilead Graduation talk. "You are the salt of the earth."