Speech and actions

'Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how to answer one another'. Colossians 4:5-6.
Okay, so what do you think of this passage? I read it in a devotion a couple of days ago and it really struck me. Our speech and the way we act are ways that we are a testimony for the Lord in this world. We need to be wise in our actions and also the way that we speak with people. For example, if someone sees me shouting at someone for the smallest of things and then the next day, I start talking about the gospel to the person who saw me, it's not going to be particularly convincing, is it? They might think 'well, if that's how a Christian acts, I don't want to have anything to do with it'.
'Redeeming the time' is quite a strange phrase. After looking through some other translations, I found that it means 'using the opportunity'. If you're in a situation that you can talk about the Lord, take the opportunity. The Lord will reward you for your work for Him.
Our tongues are very powerful things. If you want to know more, read James. As a friend once said to me that James is very hard hitting about the tongue. With it we can bless and also curse (James 3:10). This shouldn't be the case. That's why in Colossians 4:6, it talks about our speech being 'seasoned with salt'. Have you ever had something like a sauce, tasted it and decided it needs a little something (usually salt)? It makes it taste better, and it is the same with our speech. We want it to be for the Lord, so it should be 'tasteful' so to speak. If we speak in this way to people, it is kind, patient and loving, which is what people want. It makes you approachable, and when you preach the gospel, people may be more willing to listen.