"Seasoned With Grace"

"Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips!"                Psalm 141:3

The pumpkin is a fruit. It can be used to make many delicious things but without different seasonings, it is very bland. Trust me, I know!!! Inside are the “pumpkin brains” or the fibrous strands and seeds.
When I look at the pumpkin it reminds me of myself, actually all of us. Pumpkins come in different shapes, sizes and colors. As an artist I love that because I love things not all being the same. It also reminds me of how Heaven will have all different kinds of people there.
The inside of the pumpkin reminds me how gross and yucky we can be due to all of us having sin. Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”. I hate cleaning out the pumpkin because it’s so gross, but if I want to be able to use it for what it was meant to be used for, that “yuckiness” has to be cleaned out.
When we sin, it’s like those fibrous strands wrapping around those seeds. Sin grabs hold of our lives. We need help to clean out our “insides”, our sin. That’s what Christ did for us when He came and took our punishment for our sins. He took our place. When we put our faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, He cleanses us. Will we still sin? Yes unfortunately, while we’re here on this earth, but because the Holy Spirit indwells within us, He makes it known unto us and the need to confess it before our Heavenly Father. 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness”.
The vine brings nourishment to the pumpkin as it grows and Jesus represents that vine in us. John 15:4-5 says, “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”  We cannot bear fruit without Christ!
When we have accepted Christ as our Savior, we are to walk in the Spirit, because the Holy Spirit indwells within us. The fruits of the Spirit are LOVE, JOY, PEACE, LONG-SUFFERING (patience), KINDNESS, GOODNESS, FAITHFULNESS, MEEKNESS (gentleness), and SELF CONTROL. Do we display these fruits in our talk?
When I think of my speech, do I use it towards others the same way as I use it to praise my Lord? Do I encourage others with my words, do I speak truth, and am I patient with my words?  I can go on but what I want to get across is my words need to express the Holy Spirit inside of me. Those are the seeds! The seeds in the pumpkin are used to eat and enjoy but also to plant so more pumpkins can grow. We’re to enjoy our Salvation in our Lord but do we share what we have with others? Do they see Christ in us by our actions and words? Just like we need to add seasonings to pumpkin recipes, are we allowing the Holy Spirit to season us? Are our words Seasoned With Grace?