Communication: means of sending or receiving information….
“Words are singularly the most powerful force available to humanity. We can choose to use this force constructively with words of encouragement, or destructively using words of despair. Words have energy and power with the ability to help, to heal, to hinder, to hurt, to harm, to humiliate and to humble.” (Yehuda Berg)
There are different ways to communicate with people. Years ago it was a telegraph. If you had to send a letter, you sent it by pony express. Now, you use your cellphone or Skype. Yes, we still have landlines as well. You can also either communicate with people in person, or at a distance. You can communicate with words and you can also communicate with body language.
I took a body language class one time and I learned about how arms crossed may mean a person is bored. If a person has their hands on their legs or lap it meant they were open to talking. If a person is listening to you and they are resting their head on their fist, that shows they are not trusting what they are hearing. There are a lot of ways we can communicate with people these days. We can either say good things or bad things.
There are a couple verses I want to share with you this week that challenge us in how we communicate with others and also with God. In Ephesians 4:29, Paul is writing to the church at Ephesus about the importance of lifting up one another. He is talking about how it is the church’s role to be encouragers and to help people feel good about who they are and not discouraged. Listen to the words of Paul to the church: “Let no corrupt talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.”
In Psalm 19:14 David writes these words: “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight.” Both of these verses talk about words we use to either communicate with God or with those around us. These verses are a challenge for us to make sure we say things that are encouraging and uplifting to others. But how difficult is it to say things that are encouraging? How hard is it, especially when we are having a difficult day, to say things that are pleasing to hear? It is hard, but it should not be too hard if we remember what David said. David asks God to help the meditations of his heart be pleasing to God. Not only are his words to be pleasing, but what he thinks about in his heart should be pleasing. Making sure our hearts are meditating and focusing on God is the way we make sure our words are pleasing and encouraging to others. Until next week…
Peace and Blessings.. Johnny
