As we move from a "stable" mentality to an "inn" mentality, there is a flagship verse that stands out strong, "Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man." (Colossians 4:6) The message of Grace will minister to EVERY man! Because Grace is FOR every man! Before we launch into that verse, we must look at the context in which it lies by backing up a couple verses; "And at the same time pray for us also, that God may open a door to us for the Word (the Gospel), to proclaim the mystery concerning Christ... That I may proclaim it fully and make it clear [speak boldly and unfold that mystery], as is my duty. Behave yourselves wisely in your relations with those of the outside world (the non-Christians), making the very most of the time and seizing (buying up) the opportunity." (Colossians 4:3-5 Amplified Bible)
As we move from a "stable" mentality to an "inn" mentality, there is a flagship verse that stands out strong, "Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man." (Colossians 4:6) The message of Grace will minister to EVERY man! Because Grace is FOR every man!
Before we launch into that verse, we must look at the context in which it lies by backing up a couple verses; "And at the same time pray for us also, that God may open a door to us for the Word (the Gospel), to proclaim the mystery concerning Christ... That I may proclaim it fully and make it clear [speak boldly and unfold that mystery], as is my duty. Behave yourselves wisely in your relations with those of the outside world (the non-Christians), making the very most of the time and seizing (buying up) the opportunity." (Colossians 4:3-5 Amplified Bible)
We are to behave ourselves wisely in our relations with those of the outside world (the non-Christians) "redeeming the time," as the King James states it. The word translated as "redeeming" is exagorazo in Greek, and its meanings include- to buy up, to make wise and sacred use of every opportunity. Exagorazo is from the Greek words ex and agorazo. Ex is a primary preposition denoting origin, the point whence motion or action proceeds. Agorazo means to be in the market place, to attend it, to do business there, buy or sell. The word translated as "time" is kairos in Greek, its' meanings include- the appointed time, a fixed and definite time, the time when things are brought to crisis, the decisive epoch waited for!
When we put these definitions together the verse is saying that the origin and place of action is the marketplace, in the appointed "kairos" time when things are brought to crisis, the decisive epoch we have waited for! You can view your job as "mundane" or you can view it as the place of action, the appointed time, the decisive epoch you have waited for! Real Life is not lived in your "deep Bible study" or your "third heaven spiritual worship experience" (although there is nothing wrong with these things). Real Life is lived in everyday life, facilitating "kairos" moments as we are interacting with neighbors, co-workers, and people we come into contact with. If your definition of "spirituality" removes you from people and interacting in the "marketplace" of life, then you need to rethink spirituality!
Grace is a Gift
Understanding the context, we can now go back to our verse,"Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man." (Colossians 4:6) As I said before, the message of Grace will minister to EVERY man! Because Grace is FOR every man! "As EVERY man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold GRACE of God." (1Peter 4:10) Grace is a gift, we do nothing to earn it, and every person has received it. The scripture in Acts 4:33 speaks of "great grace." I believe that the way we begin to move in "great grace" is to give away the grace we have already been given.
We are called to be stewards of His manifold grace. The word translated as stewards is oikonomos in Greek, and its meanings include- the manager of household affairs, a superintendent to whom the head of the house or proprietor has intrusted the management of his affairs, the care of receipts and expenditures, and the duty of dealing out the proper portion to every servant and even to the children not yet of age.
When children are young, they may well be of royal or privileged lineage, and yet not know or understand it. Likewise, I believe that there are many of God's children in the world who simply don't know their true identity yet. We are entrusted with the job of stewarding His manifold grace, of ministering grace to every man, whether they know their identity or not!
"And so it is written, 'The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening (Life-giving) spirit.'" (1 Corinthians 15:45 Amplified Bible My input in parenthesis) We are no longer just living souls, through our relationship IN Christ, we are Life Giving Spirits! I am a firm believer that as Life Giving Spirits our words can create "realities," or "aions" in Greek. "By faith we understand that the worlds (aions) [during the successive ages] were framed (fashioned, put in order, and equipped for their intended purpose) by the word of God, so that what we see was not made out of things which are visible." (Hebrews 11:3 Amplified Bible)
"Let your speech be always with grace..." The word translated as "speech" is logos in Greek, and its meanings include- a word, uttered by a living voice, embodies a conception or idea (Thayers Definitions). I simply love that definition! We have a "Living Voice" resident within us, through the Holy Spirit! Father spoke us into existence (that is how He creates things) with life-giving words, words that actually embodied the conception of our intended destiny! Since we are made in His image, we possess that same creative power to speak words that actually embody the release of God-intended destiny to those around us!
"My little children, for whom I am again suffering birth pangs until Christ is completely and permanently formed (molded) WITHIN you..." (Galatians 4:19 Amplified Bible) So, what does this spiritual "birth" of Christ within us look like? "...only faith activated and energized and expressed and working through LOVE... For the whole Law [concerning human relationships] is complied with in the one precept, You shall LOVE your neighbor as [you do] yourself." (Galatians 5:6, 14 Amplified Bible) Jesus answers this question for us by painting a word picture. "Jesus, taking him up, replied, A certain man was going from Jerusalem down to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him of his clothes and belongings and beat him and went their way, [unconcernedly] leaving him half dead, as it happened." (Luke 10:30 Amplified Bible)