Meditations on Colossians 4:5-6

5 Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. 6 Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.

As Christians, our testimonies are a personal reflection of Christ in our lives to those who do not know Him. The things we say, the things we don't say, the things we do, and the things we don't do are the litmus test of who we truly are as Christians to those looking at our lives from the outside. Do we model Christ, do we glorify Christ? How often do we find ourselves doing the opposite of what Paul says here in Colossians 4, by being negative, uncaring, bitter, angry, jealous, resentful, harsh, offensive, and mean-spirited in our speech and actions amongst unbelievers. Are we no different than the non-Christian? Paul's call for us to "walk in wisdom", to "make the best use of the time", and to "let our speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt", instead ought to be what characterizes our behavior with non-Christians. Do our words speak of graciousness, kindness, gentleness, peace, hope, love, and more importantly, Christ. As one other author put it, do we make the most of these "divine appointments" with unbelievers to speak of our kind Savior. When we walk into a room of unbelievers, are we being lights, or are we blending in with the darkness? May we "shine" indeed the light of the gospel of Christ.