Gracioius and Attractive Conversation

Tuesday, August 2, 2022

Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity.  Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone.  Colossians 4:5-6

Paul’s advice to a group of believers living in a largely pagan and idol-worshipping culture was to be wise in their conversation, literally, everything they do.  His emphasis on being “gracious and attractive” with words is especially telling.  There is an art to remaining on the higher plane when opponents continually hit below the belt!  It is an art I freely admit not having mastered.  When I think of  21^st century culture I’m convinced it’s a practice that needs to make a comeback. 

Pick a segment of the current culture, and describe it in terms of commitment to truth, kindness, honesty, or love; then think about if you’d recommend any of this culture’s ways be continued in Heaven.  Think about:  politics, media, law, entertainment, professional sports, or the corporate world.  Do you see much graciousness, love, or even the most rudimentary aspects of truth, kindness, or honesty?  Or is it primarily self-serving, rude, and incredibly false?  (I told you I hadn’t mastered gracious and attractive yet, but at least it must ring true).

So, if our culture aligns rather consistently with Colossian culture, where just getting through the day was a tough assignment, what was Paul aiming at?  What good could attractive, kind words make in that kind of environment?

I’m glad you asked.

Even amongst the least-religious, least-interested in faith or God, there is an image of God stamped on the soul.  Granted, that image may be long-faded, or muddled by worldly, Godless living, or just plain neglect of spiritual life, but it is there, and graciousness, kindness, and honesty, with words that match, will remind lost sheep that they have a home waiting for them when they’re done with the pigpen.

That, frankly, is the job description for found sheep, telling the lost ones about the way back to the Shepherd.  And when they won’t listen to preachers, or other religious professionals, because they’ve learned in this tough world to never trust anyone, it is the kind words, surprising honesty, and gracious ways of helpful sheep that will connect with that image of God on even the most hardened wanderer.

For You Today

It’s easy to fall into the ways of the world, because you’ll find approval there, from those who need a little propping-up in their own walk away from God.  But if you ever hope to rescue a lost sheep God is trying to reach, you’ll have to swim against the tide of rude, self-serving lies.  Gracious and attractive conversation…well, it’s more than just words.  In the original language, the word we have translated “conversation” means everything about the way you conduct your daily living. So, Paul is really saying go all-in for honesty, truthfulness, and being kind; those are the tools of the trade for any who wish to do God’s calling.

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!

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There are about 2,000 devotional posts in the Rocky Road Devotions library. 

To dig deeper on today’s topic read:  The Grumpy Christian

[1] Images:  Pixabay.com     Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation^©   

The Grumpy Christian

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Tuesday, August 2, 2016

Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity.  Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone.  Colossians 4:5-6^(NLT)

Everybody who has gone to church for two minutes understands there is an expectation that Christian people are to be kind and gracious, and not say certain words, or do certain things.  How do you get that idea?  It is the attitude of gracious church folk, so attractive in their unselfish ways, and kindness towards everybody.

And anyone who has ever been to church for four minutes understands we can be less than that too; we can be downright grumpy at times.

But Paul commands each of us who are part of the Body of Christ to be wise – which translates being gracious and attractive in all our speaking and doing – so that those who aren’t believers will feel comfortable in our presence, and be drawn to Christ.  In short, Paul tells us to leave our grumpiness behind and be like Jesus.  After all, you attract more friends with smiles than when you look like you’ve just bitten into a lemon!

Some people never get that.  Over a lifetime you see it all, the good, bad, and exceedingly ugly!  I have heard quite a few people excuse themselves for their surly natured gruffness by claiming, oh, that’s just the way I am. 

I have been at church and had Christian people, members of the church, brush by me as if I was a coat rack, without so much as a nod of acknowledgement that I exist.  Really gracious; really attractive!

To be perfectly honest, I can be grumpy too…no, really!  But, God expects me to get over that, and myself, and be gracious.  After all, that’s how He is; it is the very definition of good and loving to be grace-filled, extending kindness in an attractive way.

How do I know that?  Jesus demonstrated it on the cross. 

But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.  Romans 5:8^(NLT)

If you read that through Paul’s lens, against the backdrop of living wisely among those who don’t believe, you see that God knew we were obnoxious, self-centered, sinful, separating ourselves from Him…and he came to us…to love us in spite of our ways.

For You Today

So…in your efforts to be graciously attractive in the name of Christ, if you see someone, anyone (especially me), being grumpy – give your smile away; we need to be reminded!

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road today…have a blessed day!

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NOTES

[i] Title Image: By Alias 0591 from the Netherlands (Stay away !), via Wikimedia Commonsk

Happy Birthday, Elvis

Thursday, January 8, 2015

And just as each person is destined to die once …. Hebrews 9:27a (NLT)

Today is Elvis Presley’s birthday; he would have been 80! 

At times it still seems surreal to me that it was “merely” 59 years ago the gyrating rocker first appeared on the Ed Sullivan show, and all Americans over 30 figured the world had “gone to Hell in a hand basket”. 

Today Elvis and his show wouldn’t raise an eyebrow!

If you study the artist’s picture of what Elvis would look like today, and look at his 1957 photo, you get an idea of what time can do. 

For anyone who lives 7 decades or more there’s no escaping it; want proof?

                                               

For anyone who lives, we have a date with the future; Elvis seemed larger than life, but that’s the whole thing – it isn’t life creeping-up on you; it’s the other!

The writer to the Hebrews said what we all know; we have an appointment with death.

I’m not really obsessed with that date, but with nearly 70 years of mileage on Russell, it’s hard to turn a deaf ear to the bones complaining.  That “creaking” I hear isn’t the floorboards!

So what can you do about it?

Nothing!

I know…there are whole industries devoted to anti-aging in the way you look and feel.  And there are a bunch of hucksters who want to sell you a bottle of something that is “guaranteed” to hold off Father Time.

The answer is still the same; nothing!  Zero, zilch! 

Fifty is still fifty; sixty is sixty, and the door only swings in one direction.

So what do you do?

You make this day count!

You understand that tomorrow isn’t here, and yesterday is gone; today is like cash in hand – you will spend it.  That makes it vitally important to answer the question about HOW you will spend it – wisely….or what?

God says we should be wise by “redeeming the time”:

  Walk in wisdom toward them that are withouth, redeeming the time.  Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.    Colossians 4:5-6 (KJV)

For You Today:

How are you going to account for today? 

Let me encourage you to walk in wisdom – be grace-filled in your actions and words.

You can’t help what the picture of your body will look like 20, 30 or 50 years from now; but you can control the beauty of your soul. 

That is  in your hands!