Bible League: Living His Word 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. — Colossians 4:5-6 ESV Time is valuable. Time is valuable because we have a limited amount of it at our disposal. If you act as if you have all the time in the world, you will find out soon enough that you're wrong. It's important that we make the best use of the time we have. Christians should understand this better than anyone else. This is because we know that the quality of the life to come depends upon what we do with the time we have now. For Christians, making the best use of the time is more than a pragmatic principle for a decent life. It is the key to the life to come. So, what should Christians do with their time? No doubt, there are many things. The Apostle Paul, however, singles out two of the most important ones in our verses for today. First, he gives us a general principle. We should "Walk in wisdom toward outsiders." Outsiders, of course, are those outside the church, those outside the fellowship of believers. Before His ascension to heaven, Jesus said that His disciples should be witnesses to outsiders (Acts 1:8). It is important that we walk in wisdom toward them so that we don't compromise our witness. Our walk should be a witness to the redemptive and transformative power of the Gospel. Second, Paul gives us a more specific example of the general principle. We should walk in wisdom toward outsiders by making sure that our speech is always "gracious, seasoned with salt." It should be gracious in the sense that it should reflect the fact that we are Christians, that we are under the influence of the Spirit of Christ Jesus. It should be seasoned with salt in the sense that it should make things better. Just as salt is beneficial for food, so our speech should be beneficial for those around us. It should be helpful and not hurtful. If you walk in wisdom and if your speech is gracious and seasoned with salt, then you will "know how you ought to answer each person." Your life and your words will be a witness that leads outsiders to become insiders. Bible in a Year Old Testament ReadingJeremiah 27, 28 Jeremiah 27 -- Judah Will Submit to Nebuchadnezzar NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Jeremiah 28 -- Hananiah Falsely Prophesies the Return of the Vessels NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading 2 Timothy 4 2 Timothy 4 -- Timothy Encouraged to Preach the Word; Final Remarks NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done.Insight When Paul spoke of “these things,” he was referring to his credentials, credits, and successes. After showing that he could beat the Judaizers at their own game—being proud of who they were and what they had done—Paul showed that it was the wrong game. Challenge Be careful of considering past achievements so important that they get in the way of your relationship with Christ. Morning and Evening by Spurgeon Psalm 9:1 I will praise thee, O Lord.Praise should always follow answered prayer; as the mist of earth's gratitude rises when the sun of heaven's love warms the ground. Hath the Lord been gracious to thee, and inclined his ear to the voice of thy supplication? Then praise him as long as thou livest. Let the ripe fruit drop upon the fertile soil from which it drew its life. Deny not a song to him who hath answered thy prayer and given thee the desire of thy heart. To be silent over God's mercies is to incur the guilt of ingratitude; it is to act as basely as the nine lepers, who after they had been cured of their leprosy, returned not to give thanks unto the healing Lord. To forget to praise God is to refuse to benefit ourselves; for praise, like prayer, is one great means of promoting the growth of the spiritual life. It helps to remove our burdens, to excite our hope, to increase our faith. It is a healthful and invigorating exercise which quickens the pulse of the believer, and nerves him for fresh enterprises in his Master's service. To bless God for mercies received is also the way to benefit our fellow-men; "the humble shall hear thereof and be glad." Others who have been in like circumstances shall take comfort if we can say, "Oh! magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together; this poor man cried, and the Lord heard him." Weak hearts will be strengthened, and drooping saints will be revived as they listen to our "songs of deliverance." Their doubts and fears will be rebuked, as we teach and admonish one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. They too shall "sing in the ways of the Lord," when they hear us magnify his holy name. Praise is the most heavenly of Christian duties. The angels pray not, but they cease not to praise both day and night; and the redeemed, clothed in white robes, with palm-branches in their hands, are never weary of singing the new song, "Worthy is the Lamb." Daily Light on the Daily Path Lamentations 3:26 It is good that he waits silently For the salvation of the LORD.Psalm 77:9 Has God forgotten to be gracious, Or has He in anger withdrawn His compassion? Selah. Psalm 31:22 As for me, I said in my alarm, "I am cut off from before Your eyes"; Nevertheless You heard the voice of my supplications When I cried to You. Luke 18:7,8 now, will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them? • "I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?" Proverbs 20:22 Do not say, "I will repay evil"; Wait for the LORD, and He will save you. Psalm 37:7 Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes. 2 Chronicles 20:17 You need not fight in this battle; station yourselves, stand and see the salvation of the LORD on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.' Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out to face them, for the LORD is with you." Galatians 6:9 Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. James 5:7 Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains. New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. 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