One other aspect of communication that I would like to mention in this series is in becoming a more interesting person. Let’s face it, some of us are simply a bore. We seem to have very little to talk about but ourselves, and that can become quite boring. When we talk about this it is bringing in the idea of attitude.
Often what we need is a change of attitude. Too often our attitude is negative, always seeing the bleak side of things. This has nothing to do with age. I have seen young people who have been quite interesting to communicate with and older people who I would just as soon avoid. Like Henry Van Dyke said: “I shall grow old, but never lose life’s zest, because the road’s last turn will be the best.”
In John 10:10 Jesus said: “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” Do we believe this? Or perhaps what I should say and ask is: Are we experiencing this abundant life that Jesus spoke about? Are we excited about being alive? Do we have an eagerness to meet with God and hear what He has to say? What we need is an enthusiasm for life. Elizabeth Barren Browning said: “What frightens me is that men are content with what is not life at all.”
Yes, we do get enthusiastic about sports or some other activity, but what about the things of God?
Joseph Hadyn when he was criticized about the gaiety in his church music, replied: “When I think of God, my heart is so filled with joy that the notes fly off the spindle.”
Another thing that we need to keep in mind is to learn to talk to our Heavenly Father. To cultivate our horizontal relationships we need to cultivate the vertical relationship with our God. One thing about prayer is that it will begin to change things that need to be changed.
A lady came to the sculptor Rodin and asked if it was difficult to work as a sculptor. Rodin replied: “Not at all Madam, you simply buy a block of marble and chip away what you do not want.” One of the things about prayer is that God, through prayer, begins to chip away at things in our lives that He does not want.
We find that as our intimacy with God grows – so does our relationship with others. One of the effects and consequences of sin is that it tears down relationships. We see the broken relationship with God and Adam, and then between Adam and his wife.
We need to work on this relationship with our Creator and it is through prayer that this comes about. Talking frequently with our Heavenly Father brings us into a quiet place so that when we are dealing with one another in the noise of everyday life we are not so easily ruffled. I have noticed with husbands and wives that when they do not daily meet with God, there seems to be more fighting with one another. This daily or frequent talking with our Heavenly Father and listening to Him in His Word brings us into a place where we see things in their right priority.
Communicating daily with our heavenly Father helps us to daily communicate with one another. My prayer for myself, my family and for the body of Christ is to become better communicators of things that matter most in life, and in so doing build real lasting relationships.