In our day and time, there are multiple ways we can inform people of what we think, say, and do. We can do that with our electronic devices through social media, emails, and the like. Also, you can still use the ancient art of mailing a letter if you like (I mean that all in good humor). There are multiple ways we can communicate with others today, but we need to communicate in the right way. I am not talking about whether we should send a letter or an email. I am talking about our attitude in communication. One big way we have a godly attitude in communication is how we say something. The way we speak words affects the way people receive them.
Let us imagine, you and a stranger are sitting on a bench near a city street. Suddenly you say, “That girl is running to the park.” If there was free ice cream at the park your voice might express excitement, “That girl is running to the park.” The stranger next to you does not know there is free ice cream at the park. However, by the enthusiasm they hear in your voice, they know something good must be happening. Your voice might sound different if there was a hungry lion in the park. Instead of excitement, your voice might reflect terror, “That girl is running to the park.” The stranger next to you does not know there is a hungry lion in the park. However, by the tone of terror in your voice, they know there must be some form of danger.
The way we say something is very important. Sometimes, the way we say something might communicate more to a person than the actual words that we use. How should we phrase our words? The simple and best answer is the way Jesus would. Jesus spoke all of His words with love. Jesus also had truth behind His words. Look at Matthew 23. There Jesus strongly rebukes the religious elite of His day of their sins. Jesus rebuked them because He loved and cared for their souls, and He spoke the truth about their sins. If Jesus did not love us He would not tell us about sin. Romans 6:23 tells us sin leads to death. Jesus provided a way we can be free from sin and death. The way you get to that freedom of sin begins by understanding that we are sinners.
As Christians, we need to have love and truth when we communicate. Many people go all the way in on love or truth. This is easy to do. Some people are not truthful because they think that neglecting the truth, in certain situations, is loving. Others do not speak the truth in love. As Christians, we must have both truth and love if we are going to be pleasing to God, as Paul instructed in Ephesians 4:15. Also, we must communicate love and truth through our texts, emails, and other means of communicating without our voices. This might be a little harder to do. In texting and emailing, you cannot hear the person’s tone of voice. You cannot hear how they say something. We must be extremely cautious when we are not speaking directly to a person. You may mean to communicate one thing. The person who receives the text or email may take it to mean something completely different. Make sure the person you communicate with knows what you are trying to communicate.
There are many more things we could look at when we talk about having a godly attitude in communication. Do you communicate godliness in your body gestures, your clothing, your hobbies, and whom you hang out with or whom you avoid? All of these things communicate a message to other people and your Creator. We need our communication to always be seasoned with love and truth. Let us remember to be careful what we communicate and how we choose to communicate it.