You know those times you speak to minimize a situation or an issue because you can’t really empathize with it, and you seem like a total jerk? Yeah, that happens to me a lot. If it happens to you a lot too, check out my post about Empathy and Sympathy in Leadership.
In today’s world, you can’t take back what you said carelessly. “Sorry” will only take you so far. The word of Jesus in this passage below should be considered very carefully as we speak / blog / vlog / chat in today’s digital age.
I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.
Matthew 12:36-37 ESV
One big takeaway from this passage and two techniques to carefully communicate what you mean.
Takeaway: Everything you say or write matters
I didn’t realize this when I didn’t have a child. But now that I have a human being picking up everything say like sponge, I realized she is the fruit of how I chose to communicate. My daughter’s sentiment of disappointment or disapproval puts me to shame because I recognize that I do say the same things. Yes, it’s cute for a while, but it’s really not, when you’re on the judgment side of it.
Likewise, when you and I are speaking it is directed at and toward somebody. That person will carry what you say to them with a heavier heart and attitude than we realize. We do influence others we are communicating with. That is the conclusion Jesus comes to when he tells his followers that our words will justify or condemn us.
Technique 1: Before speaking, justify the why in communicating
When Jesus says our words will justify us, he is telling us to understand the purpose of cobbling together words for others. If we have no reason other than for the sake of hearing our own voice or to fill the void of silence, you probably shouldn’t speak or write anything. When you justify the why you are communicating, you are being purposeful. Moreover, you are being practical.
Word vomit isn’t cute and that’s exactly what speaking /writing carelessly is. There is no place for it in good communication. Know why you are communicating a message either verbally or written before it is said or written.
Technique 2: Be gracious even when you do not want to be
Self-fulfilling prophecy is real. You can speak curses into people’s lives or you can speak life into their lives. You want to use your words to speak life and be prophetic– that is a mouthpiece of God. If God wants us to love others like we love ourselves, then we must speak grace into the lives of others, else that condemnation will undoubtedly return into our own.
The reason we want to be gracious is simple. We want others to be gracious in speaking with us — after all, we’re not perfect. Nor can we always stand up to the weight of our own expectations expressed through our words.
No responses yet