"Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity. Let your speech always be with grace..."

-Colossians 4:5-6

The natural tendency of man is to criticize those who have different beliefs and values. The political climate of today certainly accentuates this. But how should we speak to those who are lost, who first and foremost need an encounter with Christ? The Lord sets the example with the woman at the well. “Wicked and abandoned as this Samaritan woman was, our Lord deals gently and kindly with her, and twice in one breath commends her confession… Kindness of manner like this will always be found a most important point in dealing with the ungodly. Scolding and sharp rebuke, however well deserved, have a tendency to harden and shut up hearts, and to make people bolt their doors”.

In relationship to outsiders, if our speech is with grace, we are giving people what they need and not what they deserve. I still remember the time, over 50 years ago, someone spoke to me with the compassion of Christ, and graciously shared the gospel with me. So, let us make the most of the opportunity with those the Lord brings into our lives. Be gracious. Share the gospel. Be encouraged!

References: Colossians 4:5-6 ; J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels. John Vol 1.