Willing to Communicate

How often has someone offended you and you held it in because you didn’t want to upset her or him? There’s usually a point where you wrestle internally with whether or not you should say something, and it’s vital that you take that moment to ask the Holy Spirit if you should go forth and communicate.  Should the answer be yes, are you willing to communicate?  Your spiritual, emotional, and physical well-being depends on it. God created you with emotions, even unpleasant ones, and they can cause you harm if they’re not dealt with properly.

So, when is it right to speak up?

1.  When You’re Offended 

Be willing to go in the spirit of meekness. (See Galatians 6:1 KJV.)  If you start a conversation off with anger or frustration or some other strong emotion that fuels you to confront someone, very likely it will not go well. The Bible tells us in Matthew 18:15 KJV, “Moreover, if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.” NOTE:  Transgress is to commit an offense or a sin; transgress or err.

2.  Pray for Discretion

Some things are best kept to yourself. This means repressing your thoughts and opinions is sometimes good and right, depending on the situation. For example,  if you get annoyed at your friend for going shopping too often or for being too loud, that’s more of a personal problem than a problem you should voice. Before you jump into a conversation, differentiate between the things you should discuss and the things you shouldn’t discuss. Proverbs 5:2 KJV  “That thou mayest regard discretion, and that thy lips may keep knowledge.”

3.   Take Two

Take some time-a couple of minutes- to understand what’s going on inside your head before you go. Find the sentence that is fueling the anger, frustration, or other strong emotion.  Is the thought true or is it your perception? Be sure what you are thinking is true. Then, when you decide to communicate, you’ll have a clear headspace, and you’ll be ready to discuss the situation in a calm, rational, and Christ-like manner.

It’s not always easy to communicate but obeying God is always the right thing to do and it will bring you peace. “Behold, to obey, is better than sacrifice: “ 1Samuel 15:22 KJV  .