Christmas Communication 5

Since Christmas is next week and we’ll be gathering with family and friends, we’ve been looking all week at what Doctor Wayne Mack calls “circuit jammers to family communication,” in his helpful book, “Your Family God’s Way.” Dr. Mack warns against hasty, knee-jerk speech. You see, a quick response is usually an unwise response. Proverbs 29:20 reads, “Do you see a man who is hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him.” James 1:19 reminds us to “be quick to hear, and slow to speak.” And the writer of Ecclesiastes warns, “Do not be quick with your mouth.” We all know from our own personal experience of speaking quickly that words spoken in haste are seldom profitable. We want to build strong relationships with our kids so that we might be able to fulfill our God-given responsibility to guide them into a God-honoring adulthood. Sure, this requires that they listen to our guidance and instruction. It also requires that we avoid all circuit jammers to communication.