God’s Guide For Meaningful Conversations

School and extracurricular activities can really take their toll on quality family time. Conversations you might want to have with your children are put on hold because of schedule demands and the times that families do have together, everyone is tired or frustrated and may speak without thinking. A sassy attitude or a mean word can quickly snowball into a negative interaction. 

James has a simple but profound filter:

My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this:

Everyone should be quick to listen,

slow to speak and

slow to become angry.

James 1:19

It’s a simple solution, but WOW is it hard when we are in the moment! I know it is for me. I immediately get defensive and want to respond accordingly.  

But being quick to listen (and maybe a quick prayer) helps me to not be quick to speak and helps diffuse my anger enough to where I can look at the situation from the other person’s point of view. 

This is so important with children too, because they do not have as much control over the frustration and anger as a result of stress. Their “little” problems are just as big to them as our big problems are to us. 

The blessing of this wisdom from God is that a conversation that starts in chaos can end up being a very meaningful time for families. It is a time for us to tell each other and God that we are sorry for our words that hurt each other. It is a time to be at peace, knowing that Jesus came to die for all the conversations we have botched.

The next time an emotionally charged moment pops up, talk together as a family about this verse, and think of ways you can help each other remember to be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry. Talk with God together as a family; he is always there as part of the conversation by his Spirit.