Living word for 17-April-2024. Scripture says, “Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.”

*The scripture teaches today in Colosians 4:5-6 that: “Behave wisely toward outsiders.”* We get a tip about how to live as believers and we should take on of it. It says, *”behave wisely”* the way you behave both in private and in public matters a lot on the kingdom because we are in this world though not of the world. *The word behave comes from the word behavior which means, “the way one conducts themselves or the manner of acting or controlling oneself.”* So as believers we are advised to behave wisely, this is because God who is the custodian of wisdom freely gives it to whoever asks for it. And we also have the holy spirit who guides us daily to live as God desires us to live.

So if we are advised to behave wisely it also means that there are those who behave unwisely so as children of God we have to be different from them. Remember yesterday we learn that we are the salt of the earth so we need to behave wisely. *It adds and says, “making the best use of your time.”* So wisdom goes hand it hand with utilizing your time the best way you possibly can. So when you behave unwisely it means you misusing your time. Realize that God gave each of us 24 hours in each day but left the burden of how we spend these hours on ourselves. When you behave wisely it means you know what to do at the right time, this is why most schools have what we call timetables. These help students to manage their time and thus make the best use of it.

So the question to you is how do you use your time? Your 24 hours that God has blessed you with. Wasting it in gossip and orgies is not wise, this is why we are advised to always do the right thing at the right time that God requires of you. So the next question should be that how then should a believer behave wisely? This is important for us to know as it serves as a guide to our daily living. This is what Paul addresses next, let’s dive in and learn.

*It adds, “Let your speech always be gracious,”* so speech is part of behavior, we are thus advised to have a speech that is gracious. Meaning our speech should be uplifting, it should be encouraging, it should be edifying basically our speech should be godly. Abusive and demeaning language shouldn’t be part of our speech. *We are often very careful with what enters our mouth, no one wants to put something sour in their mouth. If only we could also be this careful when letting words come out of our mouths surely this world will be a better place because many of us are guilty of making careless statements.*

*It adds and says that our speech should be, “seasoned with salt,”* meaning before you say anything think about it and if it could have consequences you should avoid it. We are told about thinking before we act, we should also think before we speak.
so that you may know how you ought to answer everyone. *Season your words so they edify and uplift instead of demoralizing and demeaning.* Yesterday we learned that seasoning with salt helps preserve food from going bad so when our speech is seasons we say the right words that will uplift those we meet. The seasoning is like thinking before we say anything and this will help us, *”so that you may know how to answer everyone.”* This means we shall know what to say to each person the moment we meet them because remember we are salt in this world.

*Fellow child of God, let’s heed to today’s advise and watch what we speak as believers. We should be wise the way we act and make the most of every opportunity. Our speech should always be full of grace and seasoned with salt because we are the salt of the earth.*

Be blessed
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