Great Communication

“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” – George Bernard Shaw

If you want to be great, a man of God, you need to communicate.  A case in point: A father and his son are meeting in private. No other family member is present. They are talking about some plans they are making. The mother listens in on the conversation. She doesn’t like what she hears so she grabs the other son and tells him what she overheard. The mother and other son devise a plot to counteract what the father and other son are planning to do.

The mother and other son’s plot is to deceive the father and steal the other son’s inheritance. The one son finds that his inheritance has been stolen. He is not happy and threatens to kill his brother when the father dies. The mother realizes they have a serious situation on their hands and so she sends the other son away. She says, “When this thing calms down a little bit, I’ll send for you.” The truth of the matter is that she never saw that son again. If you have not already guessed, this is the story of Isaac and Rebekah and their twin sons, Esau and Jacob. To be great, men must learn how to communicate.

That doesn’t mean we have to be a talker to be great, rather it means we need to be a communicator. Because marriage requires communication. And parenting requires communication. And friendship requires communication. Do you take the time to clarify? Do you take the time to make sure that the person you are speaking to truly understands you?  If we say something without thinking about it first, we may actually hurt that person without knowing it.

God is the best example for incredible effective communication if you really look at the magnitude of His skills. His words to us are specific and deliberate. There are reasons why He says things, where He says things and how He says things. He’s very direct in His speech yet has our hearts in the forefront of His thoughts in everything He says and does.

To be a great communicator, we must think before we speak, choose the right time to speak, exhibit the right attitude when we speak and what we say is constructive rather than destructive.

Discussion Questions:

1. How important is communication in being a man of God?
2. What can we do this week to improve our communication skills ?