Speak Now

Have you ever noticed how many times you miscommunicate with someone? Or you get offended by something someone said, or the facial expression that they made, just to find out they didn't intend to hurt you at all? I've noticed that in my life, communication is HUGE! I can't tell you how many times I misinterpret people's responses or reactions. I feel like it happens on a daily basis!

Did you know communication is made up of:
- 14% WORDS
- 35% TONE
- 51% NON-VERBAL
Did you know that you can never NOT communicate? Everything that we do is a type of communication! That means we need to be extra careful with the way that we act around people so that they don't get the wrong ideas of how we are feeling or what me mean.

I've learned that I need to openly talk with people to be on the same page, or else there is tension for sure! You never know what someone else is thinking, all you have to help you is their words, tone, and expressions/actions.

Communication is key in day-to-day living, but also in marriage. You must be able to openly talk about things in order to grow closer and progress. This is extremely important when it comes to decision making! As a married couple, you make decisions DAILY! It's important to be able to see where each other stands and then to make decisions TOGETHER.

Here is a suggestion of how we can better communicate with our spouse, make decisions together, and discuss problems as they arise:
-Be in a sacred place. Your individual homes are places that are set apart from the world, where we can be together in love and unity.
-Set aside a time weekly to be able to talk. Talk about issues and concerns, ideas and goals. Anything really!
-Start by expressing your love and appreciation for each other. Set aside any defenses.
-Begin with prayer. Pray for the Spirit to be there and for guidance.
-Be open and honest in your discussions with each other. Take turns speaking. Focus on what you both feel the best thing is, not so much on your own opinions. What would the Lord want you do to?
-Finish with prayer

It is important to know and remember the difference between COMPROMISE and CONSENSUS.
When we compromise with our spouse, we are both coming with opinions of things we individually want, and from there we decide what we are willing to give up in order to still get what we personally want. When there is consensus made, we are BOTH focusing on what the Lord wants for us. We are forgetting about what we want most, and are working to do His will, as a joint decision. I think this is super important to think about, but especially to remember. We came to earth to do the Lord's will. Sometimes we forget that and get so caught up in the world, but think about it! What's the point of being here if we're not working towards anything? If we're not doing what God wants us to do? He loves us so much that He will make sure we're happy and taken care of. He's not going to lead us to do something that won't bless our lives! So how about rather than focusing so much on ourselves and what we want, let's focus on what the Lord wants us to do...because ultimately, He knows us better than we know ourselves so He's going to know what'll be the best thing for us. As we do this, our relationships with our spouses will grow so much stronger as well.

Just think about the impact this way of counsel would have on a marriage! When there is time set aside to talk about things, and it is handled this way, many issues and struggles in the future can and will be prevented. All problems start small, and if you can catch them and talk about them before they starts to grow, that'll make all the difference!

Let us remember this week that no one can read our minds! They can only read the cues that we are giving them! Let's take time out of our busy lives to sit down and actually talk with people, and if there are concerns, confront them!