Be Nice

Colossians 4:6 (NLT) – Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone.

Here’s good, practical advice for Christian living:  engage in gracious and attractive conversation.  Right?   Be nice.  Be happy.  That’s easy!  But wait a minute.  Another translation instructs our conversations to be “always full of grace, seasoned with salt” which means much more.  Remember that grace is undeserved love, acceptance and forgiveness.  Being full of grace is hard.  Being always full is even harder.  Gracious conversation is active outreach, not simply a plastic smile through gritted teeth.

What is salty conversation?  Salt makes food taste better.  A well seasoned dish stands out and is more desirable than ordinary fare.  It’s delicious and hits the spot.  So what is salty conversation?  Good.  Attractive.  Uncommon.  Satisfying.  In our culture, conversation that is full of grace is already pretty unique, but is that enough?

The Message translation says this:  The goal is to bring out the best in others in a conversation, not put them down, not cut them out. 

I think the writer is talking about how we make people feel.  Do your encounters with others help them feel loved and included?  Are they drawn in so they might like to talk again soon?  Is your way of handling a situation interestingly different and perhaps more satisfying.