Communication is a two-way street. We were given two ears and one mouth, which means we should do twice as much listening as talking, right?

This past weekend, I led a ladies’ retreat in Spanish on the topic of communication. It was a blessing to share a timely topic with the ladies in attendance.

Then, Sunday, the sermon for the Spanish service was on communication. It was as if he had read a lot of my notes. Or maybe the Holy Spirit knew I needed a reminder from some of my own lessons.

James 1:19 says we should be “Quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.” There’s an order to that advice. Listen first. Then speak, maybe. And don’t let what you hear or say allow you to become angry.

I have realized a greater need lately to not only listen to what someone else says, but to listen carefully to my own words and how I communicate them.

Do I speak with compassion? Do I intimidate? Is my message being heard and understood or rejected because of the way in which I communicate it?

A good challenge on this Makeover Monday…