Wise or Careful?

It is amazing how one verse can change the way we look at things! Recently, while reading and memorizing in Colossians I was struck:

Be wise in the way you act… Make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt so that you may know how to answer everyone“. Col. 4:5 NIV

This one little verse adjusted my thinking in a couple areas.

1. First, when I thought through the words, I mistakenly said, “Be careful in the way you act….” instead of “Be wise in the way you act…” I like careful – sometimes better than wise.


I’m tired of myself when it comes to this careful trait. I don’t want to be “careful”. I want to be “wise”. Careful has a sense of fear driven motivation. When wisdom calls for careful or cautious I will be all for it, but because my tendency is toward the side of caution I hereby commit to take appropriate wise risks.

2. Second, the verse says “so that you may know how to answer everyone” – I wanted to say “so that you may have an answer for everyone“. There is a big difference between these two phrases. We don’t need to have an answer, we just need to know how to answer. Maybe this tidbit sounds obvious, but I needed a reminder, and it sounds gracious and peaceful…and wise in my world.

Hope you are moving forward with your scripture memorization. It has the power to change the way we look at life!

Prayers that we favor wisdom over caution today…

-Madge