In his final installment of the series on God-honoring communication, Dr. Greg Gifford shares what it looks like to communicate proactively rather than passively. With this discussion, he completes his list of the most effective and God-honoring guidelines for communication found in Ephesians 4.
Act, Don’t React
Edifying communication produces solutions, and we want to be solution-oriented communicators in our relationships. One way that solutions are made is through being an active communicator. We must be proactive and act quickly when communication must be had, rather than shutting down and becoming passive in our communication.
There is no point in our Christian walk where passivity is a commended trait. Being passive in our relationships and communication is characterized by the traits in Ephesians 4:31–bitterness, anger, wrath, shouting, slander, and malice–which we are called to put off as believers. When we become lax and passive in our communication, we fall back into who we were before knowing Christ, which leads to acting in a way that is not honoring to the LORD.
Instead, we should communicate proactively, desiring to live out the traits in Ephesians 4:32, being kind, tenderhearted, and graciously forgiving in the way we communicate. While being passive leads us back to who we were before Christ, being active helps us imitate Christ and bring Him the glory and honor in the way we speak. Since we are putting on the new man as believers, we must think carefully and be intentional about what we say.
Many times, when we start a new relationship, we tend toward being very proactive in our communication. We want to get to know the other person, show them we care, and build a relationship. However, as the relationship grows in time, we tend to become more passive in our communication. Long-term relationships take work to maintain and grow. While it seems easier to shift into autopilot or cruise control, we must remain active and intentional in our communication.
Overall, in any relationship we foster, the ultimate goal is to bring glory and honor to Jesus Christ as our LORD, and each of these guiding principles gives us practical wisdom on how we can do so effectively.
This blog post captures the essence of Dr. Greg Gifford’s series on God-honoring communication. You may click on the video above to hear more insightful details about how we can pursue Christ, build relationships, and safeguard against conflict through the skills of communication. Dr. Gifford is the Chair of the Undergraduate School of Biblical Counseling as well as a Biblical Counseling Professor for The Master’s University traditional on-campus program.
