Communication part 5
The best way to communicate with people is to love them. Look at Colossians 3:8, "But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth." None of those are helpful. None of those do anything except escalate a situation or make a situation worse. And I'm all about the "helping or hurting" litmus test. If it's not one, it's usually the other. If you're not helping, chances are you're hurting. So put all of that nonsense off. And put on the armor of God. I think--I truly believe to the bottom of my heart--that we give what we believe we have. If we've been hurt... we hurt people. Because that's what we have. That's what we, in a very real sense, understand. That's what we know. And what you know... you throw. What you have, is what you give. Because it's what you CAN give. You can't give what you don't have, and you can only give what you do have. So if all you have is people filling you up with corrupt communication... that's all you'll be able to give to anybody else. And that's why receiving and releasing the love of God is so important. He HAS given it to us. It's not something we need. It's something we have. So we can use what we have by knowing and believing that we have it. When you are letting the mind of Christ (that's already in you) BE in you... that's when you're thinking the thoughts of God. That's when you're in tune with the Divine flow of His love. Filling yourself to overflowing with what you've already been filled with. Letting what's inside come out. Showing people who God is by showing them what love is. That's the truest form of communication. Not the way we sometimes try to manipulate others in order to get what we want... but simply by knowing that we have what we need, and then giving others what THEY need. That's the part we have to really focus on. Receiving is great... but it's only step one. Releasing is where it's at. Even Jesus said it is more blessed to give than to receive. You have to do the one before you can do the other. Because you can't give what you don't have and you can only give what you do have. So you have to know what you have, and you have to believe that you have it. IN ORDER to give it. To share it. Love is giving. Our communcation--speaking, listening, and actions--is love. Speak love. Listen in (and with) love. Act in (and with) love. Charity is love in action. And charity is the only thing that will really make any sort of positive difference in this world. Not the idea of love... but the act of love. Where the rubber meets the road. Actually giving what you know you have. That's how you help instead of hurt. So put off all those "bad" things. Even if you think you've been filled up with them. Let it go. Let go and let God. And fill yourself up with what HE has filled you up with. All the good things of God!