READ: EPHESIANS 4:15-32; 5:15-20; 6:18-20

There’s something wonderful about French fries. But have you ever had disappointing French fries? I have. They had no salt—the worst thing that can happen to a perfectly good batch of fries! Salt makes things taste good. But do you know what else salt is good for? Our words.

If we know Jesus, the Holy Spirit seasons our words so we can communicate the gospel clearly. He adds things like kindness, gentleness, grace, and love—allowing us to build people up with our words, not tear them down.

But our speech doesn’t just impact others, it also impacts us. If we spend a lot of time telling ourselves we are stupid, ugly, unloved, or failures, that negative self-talk can easily become part of our sense of identity.

Having the ability to speak is special. In fact, language is one of the things that sets humans apart from the rest of creation. God calls us to keep a close watch over our mouths. But Jesus—fully God and fully human—is the only one who could do this perfectly. In His time of temptation, He quoted Scripture (Matthew 4:1-11). When He was mocked and beaten, He chose silence motivated by love (Isaiah 53:7; Matthew 26:62-63; 27:14). And while dying on the cross, He spoke with grace and compassion as He asked God the Father to forgive the people who crucified Him (Luke 23:34).

When Jesus died on that cross, and then rose from the grave, He not only saved us from sin—He redeemed human speech. Once we put our trust in Jesus, He begins transforming our words. We can speak the truth in love as we learn to season every word with the salt of His love and good news. And even when we mess up, we can rest in His forgiveness and start fresh. So let’s stop the trash talk and start saying something good! • Rebecca Morgan

• How have you been speaking about your friends, your family, and yourself lately? How do you talk about the difficult people in your life?

• In Luke 6:45, Jesus said, “The mouth speaks what the heart is full of.” Consider taking a moment to talk to Jesus about what’s in your heart, asking Him to help you see others, and yourself, how He sees us— with truth and love.

Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. Colossians 4:6 (NIV)