Verbal Craftsman - Perfecting the Art of Verbal Influence

Tactful speaking and making what you say palatable to the hearer requires forethought and intention. Truth can be spoken, but whether it is received depends much upon the one's attitude in speaking it. Speaking truth for the purpose of personal satisfaction is missing the point of truth. It is to be conveyed for the purpose of persuading the hearer and truth cannot do it by itself. It needs the cooperation of the speaker's attitude to achieve optimum impact.

Think about it, if someone came up to you and revealed things that needed corrected in your life and all of it was true, however, they said it with a nasty attitude – how would you respond? Of course you would reject it, not because it was true, but because the attitude of the person turned the truth bitter.

How many times have we walked away from someone saying to ourselves "I sure told them the truth" as if to say that was the extent of our responsibility. The fact is, we have a responsibility to deliver it seasoned with the salt of a gracious attitude.

 Colossians 4:6 Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man. 

Salt will improve taste and make palatable, it enhances the color of food,  preserves food, and is a nutrient source.


Salt in this verse has much to do with the attitude, or the way we speak the truth. Notice that the Apostle Paul doesn’t say “what to answer” but “how to answer” every person. Not that truth is unimportant, but the attitude makes the spinach of truth more palatable and ingestible for the hearer. 

If you have been dealing with someone about salvation, or trying to get a person to see the error of their ways, and you are not seeing success. Don’t change the truth, change your attitude and see what happens. You might be surprised at the change in their response.