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Communication is an interaction between people.
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Through communication people can learn to know and understand each other and this could have a positive or negative effect.
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When we really think about communication we realise that it is a giving of ourselves and a sharing of ourselves.
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We give our thoughts, feelings and ideas to one another, and in return we receive response from each other.
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There can be no communication if only one of a party refuses to give or to share.
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The less we give, the less we receive.
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Communication is the ability to impart all information, feelings, experiences and viewpoints either verbally or non-verbally.
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The important Biblical principle: “What you sow you reap”, can be applied to communication. We cannot reap unless we have sown.
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Heb. 13:15-16 says “Therefore let us go forth to Him, outside the camp, bearing His reproach. For here we have no continuing city, but we seek the one to come. Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His Name But to do good and to communicate forget not; for with such sacrifices God is well pleased”.
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Some people do not find communication easy, and when we read the above scripture we realise that the Word says that it is a sacrifice.
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This means that something of value has to be given up, part of ourselves.
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Many men do not know how to communicate with their wives and vice versa.
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If we have grown up in a family where we were not encouraged to share our views and opinions etc., we may find it difficult to communicate as adults.
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Referring again to the above scripture we find that God is well pleased when we communicate, since it is only through communication that a healthy relationship can develop.
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In nature we find that all God’s creatures communicate.
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The ant leaves a fine strip of acid as it travels and in doing so tells the other ants where the source of food is.
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A bee communicates by performing a dance according to the rays of the sun shining on its body.
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Other insects communicate by either rubbing their wings or their back legs together.
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Fish, dolphins, whales, fowls, elephants, buck, birds and every living thing has its own way of communicating.
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They call to each other, they warn each other, they tell each other and by doing so they protect each other.
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Only to man the art of conversation was given to discuss ideas and viewpoints and feelings through words or actions and it is only humans who use communication to destroy each other.
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Unfortunately we often think that to growl, grunt, mumble, cry, shout, withdraw, stamp our feet or show our fists we have done all that is necessary for others to understand how we feel, without the use of words.
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Communication is also body language actions, hands, posture etc.
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Research shows that up to 80% of our communication is non-verbal.
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Good communication is about being sensitive towards each other.
“Let no foul or polluting language, nor evil word nor unwholesome or worthless talk ever come out of your mouth, but only such speech as is good and beneficial to the spiritual progress of others, as is fitting to the need and the occasion, that it may be a blessing and give grace (God’s favour) to those who hear it” Ephesians 4:29
