Importance of Communication

Are you a good communicator? Would your spouse, kids, coworkers, or family say you are? We may be surprised to know their answer might be slightly different from ours depending on how well we listen!

Effective communication is a two-way activity that requires both listening and speaking at the same time. Communication is a how we convey a message or ideas to those around us. It usually is not enough to hear what others say to evaluate and understand their thoughts and feelings.

Unfortunately, some people listen to respond and don't listen to hear. Think about this for a moment... Which of these listening techniques best describe your listening skills? Are you quick to respond before the other person is done talking? I can certainly be guilty of this at times. If so, I want to encourage you to practice listening without responding and I encourage you to ask questions such as: if I hear you correctly you are saying ...... is that correct? You will be surprised how often you've actually misunderstood what was being said.

Ephesians 4:29 NIV

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

Hearing is the ear’s physical ability to catch and perceive sounds and noise produced by the environment. How blessed I feel to have hearing aids because they allow me to communicate with the outside world.

Colossians 4:6 NIV

Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

Communication is done verbally and nonverbally, for example: speech, writing, graphical (maps, charts etc.), signs, signals, behavior, eye contact, facial expressions, gestures, posture, and body language. There are also nonverbal ques like winks and nods. My dad would give a thumbs up when he approved of something. The hearing-impaired use different tools such as sign language or computers to communicate.

My personal favorite way of communicating is through prayer and worship because this form of communicating strengthens my relationship with God. Prayer is also a way for us to seek God's guidance in our lives. Whether we praise God or sit quietly and talk with Him, we are letting Him know that we love and honor Him. If you are not hearing from God, I want to challenge you to take inventory of your life. Determine if you have a lot of noise and distractions around you that are drowning out His voice, determine how much quality time you spend with God or reading His Word. If you find yourself having numerous excuses as to why God is not a priority in your life, note that all of these factors play a role in your relationship and communication with Him. Remember there are no do overs, let's be intentional with communicating with our heavenly Father daily!

Psalm 19:14 NIV

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Often times we miss what a person is actually saying because we are too distracted, and we fail to give them 100% of our attention. How many parents would agree? Do you think God would say we are too distracted? Without a doubt! It's crucial for us to listen intently in order to avoid misunderstandings.

Colossians 4:2 NIV

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.

Another area where communication is vitally important is when you are dealing with grief.

Too often, people are uncomfortable around those that are grieving because they're not sure what to say or do so they avoid them all together.

Can I encourage you to have a conversation with the person who is grieving? Share what you are struggling with so that you can learn what is helpful and hurtful for them. Remember everyone grieves differently so people will not grieve like you, it's important to be aware of this and ask questions to avoid hurting and frustrating others unintentionally.

James 1:19 NIV

My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.

Our challenge is to be intentional when communicating with others, let's step away from our distractions, put our phones down and practice good listening skills and watch how your relationships evolve and improve over time!

Written by: Jill Theriault

Crossroads Coaching - @crossroadscoachingongodstime