Ep.1058: Do You Communicate or Just Talk?
Rediscovering how to create mutual understanding
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CHAPTERS
Theme Scripture: Hebrews 10:24
Without communication, human life would cease to exist. We need to express ourselves and absorb the expressions of others. People need to be heard. The need to share thoughts, feelings and lives with one another gave birth to the phenomena of social media. We need to pause and consider. Somewhere along the line, our ability to actually communicate has gone down a diminishing pathway. At the same time our desire to “be seen” and “weigh in” has blossomed. This trend affects all generations, but it seems to be especially powerful among those who have never known anything but the internet. In our desire to seek consensus and belonging, we seem to have forgotten our need to effectively communicate one-on-one. How do we stop the trend and rekindle the deep and life-sustaining value of sincere mutual understanding?
Communication in its highest form is often looked at as the deep connection between two souls – the understanding of another’s thoughts without the need for many words. In the Bible it is a very different story, as it focuses on the expressiveness between us in relation to the cause of Christianity itself. Our communicating one with another is biblically pointed to building others up in faith and service. It is all about locking arms and doing a better job of walking together in the way of sacrifice. Communication in the Bible is not about emotional needs being met, it is about contributing to the life of another so they can be stronger in their faith and service.
When we look at this it may come across as a disappointing. The directives we give one another are not to make the other feel better. Think about this – while our mutual instruction is not about feeling better, it is about being better. It is about growing maturity and service in each other. When you follow through with the scriptural reasoning behind being communicative, the end result is so much more valuable than simple connection. Further, if we do contribute to the actual betterment of another, won’t they be emotionally uplifted as a result?
There is much more to biblical communication than this. Jesus began a teaching trend New Testament writers picked up on multiple times. It is simple, immensely powerful and built around two common words: “one another.” Inserting these words into our Christian instruction raises the bar for all of our expressions, both spoken and action. Jesus said, “Love one another as I have loved you.” Doesn’t that clearly dictate how our treatment of each other should look? In Ephesians we are told to “submit to one another” and “forgive one another.” Now this is powerful communication in action!
By the way, there is one secret foundation to life-changing communication we didn’t mention yet. Check out our January 28, 2019 podcast, “Do You Communicate or Just Talk?” to find out more. We uncover this powerful springboard of mutual relationship building and then step-by-step build upon it to give you tools to use as you relate to those around you. Better communication equals a better quality of life!
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