Vintage Truth with Jeff Kinley

“What certain words connote to you may be dramatically different from what they connote to the person you’re speaking to. But in a variety of situations you could be misunderstood because the meaning you ascribe to a word—or its nuances, or “coloring"—just isn’t what gets transmitted. For example, complimenting the innocence or spontaneity of someone’s behavior, you might employ the word childlike. But someone else may regard this term as synonymous with the much less flattering term childish, and take strong offense.” (Leon F Seltzer Ph.D., 9 Reasons It’s So Easy to Be Misunderstood, Psychology Today, 9/3/14)”

Today we are in a world that is very sensitive to words. Also, many words or phrases that Christians have used in the past may now create misunderstanding.

None of us want to throw out words and phrases that needlessly offend. To be understood, it helps to describe and define what we are saying. This doesn’t mean adding a spin to a word or lessening the real meaning or definition.  As Paul says in Colossians 4.6 (NIV), “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.”

Notice that our words are to be “full of grace.”  Quite different from using words to judge, we’re to use our words to extend grace. And, “seasoned with salt.” Salt brings flavor, preserves things from decay, is a necessary mineral for the body to work properly and it can cause one to thirst for more.

In a world that is filled with anger, we have a great opportunity to be lights for others. Jeff shows us how to take God’s “vintage truth” (as he calls it) and share it in creative ways that speak the truth in love in today’s culture.

Praise to our Father, and our Lord, for they have given us the Holy Spirit to speak the right words at the right time to draw people to the Savior.