Communication
is difficult, especially with another person. We have a hard enough time
agreeing with our self. The "me, myself and I" of our psyche rarely
agree, and war against one another, until we fully submit to God's plan for our
life.
Pride
is the biggest culprit in any lack of communication in any relationship. We do
not give one another space to be our self, we do not value each other's
viewpoint, and we think that we are right and there is no room for any other
option.
The
easiest way to insure great communication is to pray about issues as they
arise. Our human reasoning is faulty and finite at best, and selfish at its
worst. Planning together through prayer is the key to good communication.
Honestly
talk to each other about how we really feel, our internal struggles, how the
other person's words or behavior hurt our feelings or trigger our insecurities.
Honestly communicating our needs and requesting help to meet them is the second
step in great communication.
We
accomplish this by lowering our boundaries of pride and self-sufficiency and
asking for help. We discuss our hurts, hopes, needs and thoughts with abandon.
Then we can brainstorm together and pray for God's will in each situation.
We
are co-heirs together, on equal footing with each other along with Jesus in the
Kingdom of God. They rightly say that "There is no 'I' in the word
'team'." We cooperate and desire to see each other succeed in all of our
individual opportunities.
Taking
time to clearly listen to each other, we submit to one another in love -
respecting our individual needs. As we humbly communicate, we make no demands
on our relationships that infringe on anyone else's needs by finding a third
option when we disagree.
God
has a perfect plan for our friendships, co-working relationships, marriage
partnership, parent-child interaction, etc. Praying about areas of difference
and disagreement, and finding that third option together rather than insist on
doing things our way, will solve any problem.
Prayer:
Father
God, help us to care for others with the same sacrificial attitude that You
have for us. Give us Your agape love in our relationships, and the humility to
love others as we love our self (Mark 12:31). Teach us to mutually submit to
each other (Ephesians 5:21), and to work together through prayer to amicably
resolve the issues that occur between us.
As
we pursue You and Your will for our individual lives, we grow in Your grace for
our self, and for all of our relationships. You put Your desires in our heart (Psalm
37:4), and give us a thirst for You (Psalm 42:1-5), as well as the ability to
perform the works You created us to do before we were ever born (Ephesians 2:10;
Philippians 2:12-13).
Thought
for the Day:
Looking
to others to meet our needs, or clinging to our plans or our desires or our independence
or our pride will equally ruin our association with others; only Jesus can love
us perfectly and His love will permeate all of our relationships as we cling to
Him, relax, breathe deeply, and put on kindness, meekness, humility and
patience through every situation. - Colossians 3:12
