Whenever you communicate with others, it should be tactful. There is a spiritual reminder in the Bible about how we should speak to others. It says, “let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone.” To speak effectively requires you to be gracious in your dealings with others. And while honesty is always the best policy, it is not a license to say whatever you want.
One of the most important skills you can develop is the ability to deal with others graciously and with sensitivity when you find yourself in a difficult situation. You would think exhibiting graciousness would come easily to those who claim to be filled with the spirit of God, but the evidence shows otherwise.
We tend to perpetuate the communication style of the family we grew up in. There are many facets and nuances of communication. The surface level consists of the literal meaning of the written or spoken words.
Celebrity leadership coach Jason Goldberg said, “emotional awareness is necessary so you can properly convey your thoughts and feelings to the other person.” It takes time and energy to become a tactful communicator. Though some people start out better than others, you can improve your communication skills if you put in the effort.
The Bible says, “For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through the Lord.” The Lord never allowed courtesy and kindness to prevent him from telling the truth, but he never did it in a mean-spirited way. Nor should we. Sometimes we claim to be speaking the truth in love, when the truth is that anger, frustration, disappointment, and retaliation are what’s truly in our hearts.
The remedy to this is to think before we speak. Take a moment to review the words in your mind, and try to evaluate their impact. Are the words something that you would want someone to say to you? If your answer is no; then don’t communicate the words to another person.
Doing this will help you develop the emotional discipline necessary for stifling tactless remarks to others. So, learn to communicate gracefully. And Never Give Up! Never Give Up! Never Give Up!
By Dr. Walter Ghosten
chaplain@lhp.net
