A Pinchful of Salt

Recently, I signed up for a popular meal delivery service that sends you the recipes and the ingredients. They’re expensive enough that they might as well include a chef too, but actually making the meals is still something I have to do.

I noticed that the recipes called for salt and pepper (S&P) after each step in the cooking sequence. I feared this would make the dish too salty. It did not! (My mother would argue “too salty” is not actually a thing.)

I began implementing this strategy into other recipes that I’ve been cooking for years and I think it is revolutionizing my cooking. Best. Decision. Evah!

Flavor is a thing, and salt coaxes flavor out of the ingredients and makes everything better. All it takes is a pinch here and there and now and then.

Give It with a Grain of Salt

Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person. — Colossians 4:6 KJV

Kind of a weird verse. How do you season your speech with salt? Also, why salt?

Salt was very important in the ancient world, just as it is today in our cuisine. Covenants were confirmed with salt. In fact, the Israelites could not offer a grain offering to the LORD without salt (Lev. 2:13). I’ve already written about the importance of salt, so I’m going to talk more about grace which is the salt to our speech.

Unfortunately, we sometimes treat grace in speech the way my mom treats salt at dinner. As soon as the meal is plated, she shakes the salt shaker over it. I don’t think she’s tasted actual food for years. She may actually think that everything tastes like sodium iodine.

We do that with our speech too. How often has less-than gracious criticism been preceded by or followed up with a “just saying” or “no offense.” I attended school in the south. Say whatever you want about a person, just make sure you follow it up with a “bless her/his heart.”

Instead, graciousness should be woven throughout our conversations with and about others. That doesn’t mean that gracious speech is always flowery and flattering. Sometimes truthful and wise speech means speaking difficult things. Gracious speech, however, speaks recognizing our common bond in Christ.

But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ  From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. …  Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. (Eph 4:15-16, 29)

Do I struggle with this? Absolutely. I honestly don’t want to write this blog post. I’m only doing so because I thought of the spiritual application and I knew it was a topic I need to be convicted about. I can speak honestly, decisively, and wisely, but do it in a way that recognizes that the person I am speaking with is loved by God as much as I am.

Bless their heart.