Post by Cindy on May 19, 2021 8:50:31 GMT -5
1. STOP LYING. START TELLING THE TRUTH. People lie to each other every day! “How are you doing?” someone asks. “I’m fine,” is the usual reply, which is not always true. Sometimes when someone is upset, another will ask, “What’s the matter?” “Nothing!” will come the reply. People are oftentimes afraid to tell what’s really going on in their life. Honest communication depends on honest conversation. Telling the truth builds bridges; lying builds barriers. The Bible says: “Each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully” (Ephesians 4:25).
2. STOP HATING. START LOVING. The Bible also says, “In your anger do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry” (Ephesians 4:26). In this passage we are warned not to stay angry because anger destroys communication. Anger can lead to aggressive or depressive behavior; it can cause us to strike out at others or to put down ourselves. Either way, anger can be destructive, hurting ourselves and others. When anger comes into your life, deal with it quickly and settle it. Anger drives children away from their parents, and it drives husbands and wives away from each other. It destroys communication and thereby destroys relationships. By contrast, genuine love forgives, restores, and communicates.
3. STOP STEALING. START GIVING. Stealers are takers—selfish by nature. The apostle Paul reminds us that we need to stop stealing and develop the grace of giving (Ephesians 4:28). Selfish people destroy communication; unselfish people build communication by building bridges to each other with gifts of kindness. In each of your interpersonal relationships, ask yourself, “Am I a giver or a taker?” Givers tend to see the worth and importance of other people and therefore are apt to bring out the best in others. Takers, on the other hand, tend to see the world solely from their own standpoint.
4. STOP CUTTING DOWN. START BUILDING UP. “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up.… And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God” (Ephesians 4:29–30). Your mouth is to be an instrument of God’s grace, not a fountain of bitterness and cursing. Every time you cut someone down, you destroy communication. You drive people away from God instead of drawing them closer to Him. What we communicate verbally should encourage and strengthen those who hear us.
5. STOP OVERREACTING. START ACTING LIKE A CHRISTIAN. The Bible urges us to “get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (Ephesians 4:31–32). Don’t blow up; that only makes things worse! Notice the chain reaction described in verse 31: We start with bitterness, which soon leads to rage and anger. That, in turn, leads to brawling (verbal fighting), which leads to slander (literally blasphemy), and finally to malice (a deliberate attempt to do someone bodily injury). Such behavior is not of God. It is a worldly response to problems, not the Christian response.
People prone to overreacting when trying to communicate with others may simply misunderstand or overlook the message conveyed in one or more ways. Don’t jump to conclusions; give the other person every opportunity to express himself clearly.
God is There in the Tough Times
2. STOP HATING. START LOVING. The Bible also says, “In your anger do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry” (Ephesians 4:26). In this passage we are warned not to stay angry because anger destroys communication. Anger can lead to aggressive or depressive behavior; it can cause us to strike out at others or to put down ourselves. Either way, anger can be destructive, hurting ourselves and others. When anger comes into your life, deal with it quickly and settle it. Anger drives children away from their parents, and it drives husbands and wives away from each other. It destroys communication and thereby destroys relationships. By contrast, genuine love forgives, restores, and communicates.
3. STOP STEALING. START GIVING. Stealers are takers—selfish by nature. The apostle Paul reminds us that we need to stop stealing and develop the grace of giving (Ephesians 4:28). Selfish people destroy communication; unselfish people build communication by building bridges to each other with gifts of kindness. In each of your interpersonal relationships, ask yourself, “Am I a giver or a taker?” Givers tend to see the worth and importance of other people and therefore are apt to bring out the best in others. Takers, on the other hand, tend to see the world solely from their own standpoint.
4. STOP CUTTING DOWN. START BUILDING UP. “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up.… And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God” (Ephesians 4:29–30). Your mouth is to be an instrument of God’s grace, not a fountain of bitterness and cursing. Every time you cut someone down, you destroy communication. You drive people away from God instead of drawing them closer to Him. What we communicate verbally should encourage and strengthen those who hear us.
5. STOP OVERREACTING. START ACTING LIKE A CHRISTIAN. The Bible urges us to “get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (Ephesians 4:31–32). Don’t blow up; that only makes things worse! Notice the chain reaction described in verse 31: We start with bitterness, which soon leads to rage and anger. That, in turn, leads to brawling (verbal fighting), which leads to slander (literally blasphemy), and finally to malice (a deliberate attempt to do someone bodily injury). Such behavior is not of God. It is a worldly response to problems, not the Christian response.
People prone to overreacting when trying to communicate with others may simply misunderstand or overlook the message conveyed in one or more ways. Don’t jump to conclusions; give the other person every opportunity to express himself clearly.
God is There in the Tough Times
!!
