📅 July 22, 2025
🌟 Words with Grace
🧭 How Kindness and Courtesy Make Our Faith Visible
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📖 Bible Text
“Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.”
– Colossians 4:6
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👣 Introduction
What we say reveals what lives in our hearts. In a world where people often interact with hurtful words, the Bible calls us to something entirely different: our words should be kind, thoughtful, uplifting – “seasoned with salt.” Words filled with grace have power. They can comfort, heal, connect, and give hope.
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🎯 Devotional
Paul encourages us to speak words that come from a heart filled with Jesus. When you think about how you talk to classmates, teachers, friends – even your parents – how much “grace” is in your words?
Ellen G. White writes:
“Courtesy is one of the gifts of the Spirit. It is a trait of heaven. Angels never act out of passion, they are never envious or selfish. Their lips never speak harsh or rude words. […] Whoever claims to follow Christ but is rude, impolite, or inconsiderate in words and behavior has not learned from Jesus. […] True courtesy, combined with truth and righteousness, not only makes life useful but also beautiful and fragrant.”
– Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 4, pp. 358–360
That is a powerful image. Angels – God’s messengers – are completely kind, considerate, and loving. If we want to one day be with them, we should start today by living and speaking as they do.
We may know the Bible, attend church, and act honestly – but if our interactions with people are harsh, cold, or unloving, our lives do not reflect the character of Jesus.
A true Christian is not just “orthodox,” but kind, compassionate, sensitive, and sincere. Their words do not wound – they build up.
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📝 Story – The Power of an Apple
It was winter. The city streets were cold, gray, and hectic. People rushed from store to store, most with serious faces, stressed by work, school, or holiday preparations.
Amid this rush, Anna – a 16-year-old girl – worked in a small neighborhood supermarket. It was her first part-time job, and she wanted to do everything right. She was friendly and helpful, even though many customers were stressed, impatient, or even rude.
One evening, an elderly man entered the store. His hair was messy, he trembled slightly, and his clothes were worn out. He smelled of cold and street dust. Some customers glanced at him suspiciously. The man placed only a single apple on the belt. As he reached the checkout, he nervously searched for coins in his pockets – slowly, almost ashamed.
The customer behind him rolled her eyes. The manager watched the scene suspiciously from a distance.
But Anna smiled at the man, waited patiently, and said nothing. When he couldn’t find enough money, she softly said:
“I’ll cover the rest. It’s just an apple – a small act of kindness.”
The man looked at her, surprised. For a moment, there was silence. Then tears welled up.
“No one has been kind to me in weeks,” he whispered. “I thought the world had forgotten me.”
He left the store with trembling hands – and a smile.
The next day, he returned. This time, he held a small, crumpled letter in his hand and asked Anna to read it. It said:
“Your smile saved my life. I had planned to end my life that night. But your kindness showed me there is still light in this world. Thank you.”
Anna stood still. The manager came closer. He, too, was speechless.
This story later spread throughout the neighborhood. Some laughed it off. But many were deeply moved. And Anna? From that night on, she knew something no one could ever take away:
Kindness is never wasted. You never know what a gentle word, a smile, or a gesture can spark in a heart.
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👉 What Can We Learn from This Story?
Would you have acted like Anna in that moment?
What might have happened if she had been impatient or indifferent?
How often do you have the chance to touch someone with a small act of kindness?
This story shows what Colossians 4:6 means: our words and actions should be seasoned with grace – not sharp, not indifferent, but healing and strengthening.
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🧠 Reflection – What Does This Mean for You?
How do you speak to others when you’re tired or irritated?
Do your words build others up – or are they sarcastic, dismissive, or hurtful?
Would others recognize that you know Jesus by the way you act and speak?
Jesus doesn’t just want to change your behavior – He wants to transform your heart. And what’s in the heart becomes visible in your words.
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💡 Practical Impulses for Today
🧂 Pay extra attention to your words today.
🙏 Ask God to give you a spirit of kindness.
💬 Think of a kind sentence to say to someone today.
❤️ Courtesy doesn’t begin outside – it starts at home, within the family.
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🙏 Prayer
Dear Father in Heaven,
Thank You for showing us through Your Word how important our words are. Please forgive me where I have hurt others with my speech. Give me Your Spirit, who teaches me to speak kindly, respectfully, and compassionately – just like Jesus did. Help me to be a light in this world through the way I speak.
Amen.
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🧃 Takeaway for Today
“A kind word can change someone’s day – maybe even their life.”
