Broken Messages – Communication Breakdowns.

Communication breakdowns can lead us to make poor choices. By reading and understanding the Bible, we are less likely to make bad decisions.

Communication Breakdowns

Communication is one of those puzzle pieces in our lives that are necessary each day. Sometimes it takes place face to face while at others times technology connects us to someone in another location, either nearby or far away. Communication breakdowns aggravate us, inconvenience us, and sometimes can be more problematic that at other times.

Have you ever played the game called “Telephone” or “Gossip”? This game has been around for decades. It is a fun one to do with kids. You have them sit in a circle and the first person whispers a message to the next one, who passes it on. The message travels the circle and the last person says it out loud. It provides lots of laughter to hear how corrupted the message can become while people pass it at a whisper from one to the other.

Communicating With Spouse

But what is fun in a game like this, causes problems in real life. The other day, my husband phoned me after an appointment. He needed a ride home. His number came up on my cell phone screen but his words were broken and garbled. I could not understand what he wanted but assumed he might be done and needing a ride. But I didn’t know for sure. I needed to go to the source for confirmation. I texted him and waited a few minutes. Just as I chose to head out of the house, my phone rang again. The connection was clear. My assumption had been correct. He was ready to be picked up. He needed to move to a better location to get a clear signal so the message could come to me without breaking up.

Messages bombard us every day. Sometimes they are clear and we know if they are correct or incorrect. But at other times they confuse us and we don’t understand them. Some messages steer us away from trouble while others challenge us or make us question what we believe. There are times you can read a post from two different viewpoints but that use the same statistics. It makes me shake my head as I try and decipher the truth, which may lie in between the two extremes.

Understanding Broken Communication

In order to know what these mixed-up messages are, to understand broken communication, and to deliberately choose to follow God, we need to go to the source. We need to read our Bibles so we know what God says and not what others try and make it say.

Hebrews 4: 12 says,

“For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword. It penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”

2 Timothy 2:15 tells us,

“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.”

God’s word, the Bible, will give us an unbroken message, one that will not lead us astray.

Psalm 119 talks a lot about the word of God, the laws of God, and how we need to meditate on it, study it, hide it in our heart, and live by it. Verse 105 says,

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.”

We pay attention to what we value. We value the unbroken communication from a loved one instead of a garbled, broken message. How much more valuable is the communication from God through the Bible. Do we value the word of God enough to study it and live by it?

I think I will pass on garbled communication and gossip, unless I am having some fun using the old game of Telephone” or “Gossip” as an object lesson to show others how easily we can mistake what is whispered in our ears. How about you?

Do you find it difficult to be honest on social media? We would love to hear from you. Comment below or contact us at HopeStreamRadio.

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