I know some people who think that it is best to keep your comments to yourself, especially if you can’t be nice. Then there are others who think you need to “say it as it is” no matter if it hurts someone else. So how do we know which is right? Or, is it just a matter of perspective?

If we look at Jesus’ life we see that there were times when He was very loving with His words (like with the woman caught in adultery, when He told her that He forgave her). But then there was the time He called the Pharisees ‘white washed tombs,’ because they were living as hypocrites (they didn’t live by what they preached)!

In Colossians 4:6 the apostle Paul says to us: “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” The truth is, if we want to have conversation with others, we need to be loving with our words, and speak words of grace. Sometimes that might mean we lovingly challenge them with our words, but that depends on the depth of relationship we have with them. Being argumentative will not help us in the relationship, or the conversation. It will either put them off, or cause them to not want to converse with us.

However, being ‘full of grace’ does not mean that we don’t speak the truth of the Bible, or of what we believe. But it does mean that we don’t attack. We speak the truth in love. We speak the truth with confidence. We speak the truth with boldness. We speak the truth letting others know that God loves them and wants the best for them, and that He has a plan for their lives. Blessings.