How to Communicate Like God

Therefore, God's chosen ones, holy and loved, put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience, accepting one another and forgiving one another... 

Colossians 3:13-13

Child of God, notice how Paul reminds you who you are, first and foremost. Then he proceeds to instruct you on how to show others who you are. Paul, under the influence of the Holy Spirit, is demonstrating for us God's communication style by speaking into the aspect of who we are that he wants to shine. He calls the good in us forward and then tells tells us how use it.

We humans tend to rise or fall to whatever is spoken to us. When we're insulted or criticized, we are often negatively impacted as those things rise up in us even if they weren't there before. When we are encouraged with genuine and kind words, those good traits rise to the surface. We find empowerment or destruction in words. Words have power and power isn't neutral. Everything we say affects someone somehow. 

I'm not saying that we shouldn't address problems and destructive tendencies. It's scriptural to address sin and pain, but the same scriptures tell us to do so with wisdom and caution. Blurting out what's on the tip of our tongue is dangerous. Relationships and hearts are at stake. On the other hand, saying the right things the right way is very hard. It takes courage and wisdom-- and I will venture to say that it can only be done under the influence of the Holy Spirit. 

We need to follow God's lead. We need to adopt His communication style in our everyday language if we're going to be effective for the kingdom or even in our relationships. But in order to do so, we've got to keep the ears of our heart open.