Colossians 4:6 (ESV), “Let your speech always be gracious…”

Proverbs 15:1 (BSB), “A gentle answer turns away wrath…”

Good communication is a way to show others in your life that they are valued and have dignity. Giving someone your time and attention is an honest form of kindness. Kind communication is not flattery or simply saying nice words, but speaking the truth with honesty, humility, and care. Clear communication prevents and diffuses confusion. Confusion is not from God.

God gave us His word. He gave us a book, the Holy Bible. God communicates. Hebrews 1:1-2 (ESV), “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. God has poured out His Spirit on the church to communicate the Gospel to the world.”

“And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.” (Acts 2:17-18, ESV)

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.”  (2 Corinthians 5:17-19, ESV)

In Iowa, I served as a Youth Outreach Director for our local YMCA. During that

time, I attended a training that has stayed with me ever since called Listen First. It taught us how to truly hear someone’s thoughts, ideas, or complaints and then communicate them back by saying things like, “So what you are saying is…” or “What I am hearing is….” When people feel heard correctly, you are both on the same page and communicate effectively. If what is repeated back is not what they mean, they then have the opportunity to clarify or correct it. This prevents misunderstanding and allows positive communication to occur even during disagreement.

This concept removes passive-aggressive communication from the table and puts respect first in conversation. Why does this matter? Because you can have difficulty conversations while still speaking clearly and graciously. Why is this so important to me? Ready for a can of worms? Let’s open it.

In 2013, my stepdad came to me with a packet of information containing his wishes “Just in case something happens.” It included his end-of-life plans and documents that would allow for a peaceful passing. He cared enough to clearly communicate his wishes before the time came. He communicated what he wanted and what he did not want. Do we care enough for our children to have those conversations? I am speaking especially to Christians. Your children may know the truth of the Gospel, but do they know your end-of-life plans? Have you cared enough to sit them down and say, “If something happens to us, here is who will care for you, and this is how they will care for you?”

We had these conversations when all of our children were under eighteen so they would know the plan if something unexpected happened. Now that Joshua, my younger son, is almost eighteen, the conversations and plans will naturally look different. Our adult children have heard me talk about this exhaustively because we now have grandchildren, and we want their parents to have a plan in place as well. The course of action for our end-of-life plans would not be a surprise to our family because we care enough to communicate our wishes clearly in case we go to Heaven early.

Speaking of eternal life, the most important information we can communicate is the Gospel. No one is naturally ready for Heaven. A person must be born again. Communicate this truth to the people in your life.

If we truly care for people, we will communicate the truth to them in love. Scripture teaches that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. If God gave us what we deserved, we would all be condemned and separated from His presence forever. But God, rich in mercy, graciously sent Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God, to save us from our sins. If you call upon the name of Jesus, you will be saved. Believe what God has said and trust in Christ Jesus as your Savior and Lord. Call upon Him and ask forgiveness for your sins. So, with all of this said, have you cared enough for your family and loved ones to have the conversation? Do you have your estate, life insurance, will, living will, and last wishes in order? If you have young children, do they know who would care for them if you were to die? Do you have a file or safe with important information and your wishes clearly organized? Does your family know where to look or what to do? Do you care enough for your family to prepare these things so they can grieve instead of panic or stress if something unexpected happens? To communicate is to be kind.

The rest of my story about my stepdad’s passing is for another article—or perhaps over matcha someday. For the glory of God, finish well, get your plans in order if you care for your family, and share the Gospel everywhere you go. God will use your testimony.