Gracious Lips, Gracious Words.

As the Harmattan season knocks on our doors, we look forward to the coolness it will bring but, at the same time, dread the dryness (dried skin, dried lips, etc) that will come with that wind.

Petroleum jelly, Shea butter, and lip balms become staple needs to ease the discomfort that dryness brings.

Just as we need lips balms to keep dryness away from our lips during the harmattan season, we need the balm of grace on our lips every day; grace to speak love, peace, joy, faith and patience to ourselves and to others.

Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer every man.

Colossians 4:6 (KJV)

“Every man” from the above scripture begins with you. It is important that as you apply your favourite lip balm daily to keep dryness away, you also apply God’s balm of grace to keep foolishness away.

This balm called grace is available in Jesus Christ, and Christ is the Word.

Therefore, each day you begin without a touch of the word of God, is a day for your dry lips to wallow in foolishness.

The Word of God cleanses your tongue from vain and vile words and adorns your lips with grace, which then enables you to speak gracious words seasoned with salt — words that heal, exhort,  encourage, inspire, and [lovingly] correct.

The Word feeds you truth, empowering you to speak truth alone to yourself and others. The Word teaches you love, enabling you to speak lovingly to others and yourself.

Patient persistence pierces through indifference; gentle speech breaks down rigid défenses.

Proverbs 25:15 (MSB)

Hardened hearts aren’t melted by violent or insulting words. They only set them on fire, burning with fierce fury (Proverbs 15:1), but gracious words, gently spoken break down the most rigid of men — especially when laced with the grace in Jesus Christ.

This week, commit to adorning your lips with the balm of God’s grace embedded in His Word, so your words will always be full of grace, glorifying God.

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Matthew 5:16 (KJV)