Family Chats (3)

“Listen to advice and accept instruction, and in the end you will be wise.” Prov 19:20 (NIV)

Has God ever used a child to teach you a valuable lesson in life? It happened to me last night. We had a family board meeting last night at our kitchen table. In response to our pastor’s Sunday morning message, we were working through the five questions included in the sermon listening guide. Take a look at these five questions:

1. In your opinion, what are the two biggest barriers to our communication?

2. Of the five levels of communication (clichés, facts, opinions, feelings, needs), which level typically represents our communication?

3. On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the highest, how well do I listen when others are speaking?

4. On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the highest, how “understood” do I feel when we talk?

5. What is one specific thing we can do to improve the quality of our communication?

I asked my ten year old son, Austin, to take the lead and march us through the 5 questions. Through our family board meeting experience, God spoke through my son Austin to show me how my Blackberry was a barrier to communication. Isn’t that interesting? The purpose behind the technology of my Blackberry is actually to enhance communication. However, the very instrument which enhances communication can become a communication barrier.

God is honored when you take the time to have a family chat to discuss ways to improve communication. The experience can provide your family with the opportunity to go deeper in relationship with each other. Your family business is God’s business! Take some time to discuss these five questions with your family.

Pursuing God,

Stephen Trammell
Executive Pastor