Wednesday's Word of the Week - Communication

Communication 

God doesn’t always expect you to agree with your folks. He knows they’ll make mistakes. But He does expect you to honour them with your obedience. And for those who do? He gives a fantastic promise. Check it out: “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ‘Honour your father and mother’ – which is the first commandment with a promise – ‘that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth’” (Ephesians 6:1-3).

The 10 “T’s” of Talking
Think about what you might need to improve on and asked God’s help with this. See what you can remember for next week!

1. Think about what you’re going to say ahead of time. Plan points of what you’re suggesting and anticipate answers to any objections they may have. 
2. Target your goal and see if there are any points you can negotiate. 
3. Temper literally means “to moderate or control”. Make sure it is under control no matter what happens 
4. Timing is everything. Pick the best times to talk not when others are busy doing something. 
5. Thoughtfulness goes a long way in getting your arguments across. 
6. Two-way conversation is the name of the game. 
7. Telling is not yelling. Even if you’re getting frustrated, you can make sure it remains a conversation instead of a shouting match. 
8. Teamwork. Engaging each other as teammates shows you want to work together to get the issue resolved. For example, if it’s going out Saturday night, ask your parents to trust that you’ll be bright-eyed for what they want to do Sunday morning. 
9. Tone of voice and your inflection is vital for healthy discussion. If you sound demanding or disrespectful, get ready to tell your friends the plans are off! 
10. Thank God once the conversation is done, regardless of the outcome. Show your appreciation to your teammates for helping you to communicate well.