Gracious and Attractive
What words would you use to describe your conversations?
Verse of the Day
‘Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone.’
Today’s Devotional
Other translations say that our conversations with others should be “full of grace and seasoned with salt.” Listen, as I read commentaries of the verses we are studying, there is rarely a time when I read the thoughts of scholars and think, “YES! I knew it!” Usually I am enlightened and convicted by the explanations of the Word. But today, I am excited by what many say the original Text was trying to convey.
What does salt have to do with our conversations? Well, what does salt do to our food? It enhances flavor. And what enhances our conversations?
Humor.
Many scholars believe that this verse is telling us to be charming and witty in our conversations in order to promote laughter. Why? Because laughter diffuses us. It lightens the mood. If we are talking to a non-believer about their souls and eternal destiny, that’s heavy stuff. Being convicted of our sins, wrong thinking and bad behavior is generally not pleasant. But laughter makes it more bearable. This comes from the Barclay commentary: “It is all too true that Christianity in the minds of many is connected with a kind of sanctimonious dullness and an outlook in which laughter is almost heresy. The Christian must commend his message with the charm and wit which were in Jesus himself.”
I know down in my soul that God has a fantastic sense of humor. He made a donkey talk, and not only talk but to be sarcastic. (See Numbers 22) Have you ever looked at a baboon? It’s hard to look at a baboon and not laugh. It’s not recorded in the Bible, but I have a feeling that Jesus and the disciples had a lot of really good laughs together.
Laughter feels cleansing to me. And I am created in the image of God. So I know that God made me to laugh. Laughter is part of the universal language. Any human who speaks any language can understand when someone is laughing.
The Bible does not talk too much about laughter. But in my world, a happy heart and laughter go hand in hand. And the Bible talks a lot about a happy heart. But what does this have to do with talking to unbelievers?
I have some personal experience with this. As I walk the road of discipleship with someone, there are many deep, heavy conversations. And during those conversations, it is really helpful and healing to have some laughter. I had a friend tell me this morning that one of the best things I ever did for her was to make her laugh during those first few months. I usually did this by poking fun at myself and my humanness. Why? Because people need to know that we are all imperfect. We need to know that EVERYONE struggles. One of the lies Satan uses is to convince me that I am the only one with this particular struggle. But when I can laugh at my brokenness, then the other person can too. And eventually they learn to laugh at themselves. Those are beautiful steps in the process of breaking the power of Satan’s lies and our brokenness.
Laughter often draws people into a conversation that they would not have entered otherwise. Therefore, humor can create opportunities to have discussions that we would not get to have without it. It just may be one of the tools to spread the Gospel.
Journal Prompts
Answer only the questions that seem relevant to you today.
How do you agree and/or disagree with using humor to enhance your conversations?
How could you use laughter to share the Gospel?
Do you believe that God encourages our laughter? What makes you think that?
How can you have a conversation today (with anyone – not just an unbeliever) that is full of grace and seasoned with salt?