Effective Communication

If you’ve ever been “the boss” or managed people on practically any level, you know the difficulties that come with communicating instructions. You may give crystal-clear instructions about what you needed done, but later discover that they didn’t get the message. It’s this dilemma that challenges many leaders: getting things accomplished AND keeping those doing the work, happy (and/or focused).

Truth is, that it’s exactly the issue Jesus faced with His disciples, and it’s what the Apostles faced with the Christians they’d shared the gospel with. So here are a few practices that some high-up managers use in accomplishing the task of effective communication of instructions.

Ask, don’t command
Emphasize what to do, not what to avoid
Explain why it’s important
Give freedom of action

Some would argue that these may work in an employment situation, but not in worship. While worship, and whatever is linked with worship, should be exalted higher than a secular job, the truth is we’re still dealing with imperfect people that can easily misunderstand. There’s a reason many of the effective communication skills work with employees, therefore it’s worth considering something similar within the realms of worship.

The Jews were known for their strict attention to details, even to a fault. This was something Jesus addressed on several occasions (Matthew 23, Luke 11); yet He wasn’t complimentary of it, but critical of it. Perhaps because within their strictness and their overbearance, they lost sight of what was important and how to communicate God’s will to the people. The reality is that they didn’t understand His will.

Paul compliments the Thessalonians for their understanding of the commands of God. They realize what faith leads us to do, and how love, and how that is a reflection of our faith, and that when these are combined with a godly motive we remain in the hope of the Lord. They got it; unfortunately, there are many that don’t. Paul reminds us in Ephesians 5:17, “Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” So, consider how well you grasp the place of faith, hope, and love in what you do in life, at work, or in worship.

God wants us to stand firm in the truth, but this takes a clearer understanding of what His will is for us. Thus the reason, to “meditate on His word day and night.” The great thing is that if we realize we haven’t been living with an accurate understanding of God’s will, He invites us to simply humble ourselves and begin today. It’s really not as complicated as many would like to make it; Paul said in Colossians 1:9-10, “we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.” Let’s make that our aim as well--understand and DO the will of the Lord.