Communication Skills: A 3-Day Marriage PlanНамуна

What Did You Say?

"Let the wise listen and add to their learning." (Proverbs 1:5)

Men may use less speech than women, but both sexes have been accused of not using their sense of hearing. “You never told me that” is a common household refrain. I (Dr. James Dobson) am reminded of the night my father was preaching at an open tent service. During his sermon, an alley cat decided to take a nap on the platform. My father, who was 6'4", took a step backward and planted his heel squarely on the poor creature’s tail. The cat went crazy, scratching and clawing to free himself. But Dad, intent on his message, didn’t notice. He later said he thought the screech came from the brakes of automobiles at a nearby stop sign. When my father finally moved his foot, the cat took off like a Saturn rocket.

This story illustrates the communication problem many couples face. For example, a wife “screams” for attention and intimacy but feels that he doesn’t even notice. It’s not that he can’t hear her; it’s that he’s thinking about something else or is completely misinterpreting her signals. This situation can easily be improved by simply “tuning in” to the station on which your mate is broadcasting. The truth is that careful listening feels so much like love that most of us can hardly tell the difference.

Questions for Today . . .

• When you say something that doesn’t get through, who is to blame—the “sender,” the “receiver,” or both?
• How could learning to listen better to each other help me listen better to God?

Prayer . . .

Dear God, teach me the wisdom and grace of listening. Help me to pay attention to each word as though I were listening to You. Amen.

(Excerpted from Dr. James and Shirley Dobson’s book, Night Light for Couples. Used with permission.)

Bonus Content: Communication in the Family

The quickest way to destroy a family is to cause a breakdown in communication.