If you want to build healthy relationships and resolve conflict, then you need to learn how to communicate—really communicate—by learning how to speak and how to listen. And the best place to learn how to do this is in the Bible, where you can see how God communicates with us. When you learn to how to listen and talk to Him, you’ll also learn how to communicate with others in a way that pleases Him. Today, we’ll take a look at how to communicate as God desires.

"Communication Is Important in Building Healthy Relationships"
by Dr. John Jackson

Pray
Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. Tell me how to get over myself so I can improve my communication skills and learn how to resolve conflicts.

Reflect
Am I quick to listen and slow to speak, or am I slow to listen and quick to speak?

Respond
Today, slow down. Practice listening. Practice controlling your body and facial expressions, too.

Once you understand how God wants you to communicate, you can learn how to resolve conflicts in a loving way. Good communication requires both selflessness and forgiveness, as well as intentional listening and speaking. If you want to resolve conflicts, however, your emphasis must be on listening. But listening is just the first step. You have to get to the root of the conflict before you can resolve it. In our next post, we’ll look at how to do this.