The Call to Communicate
There is an outward force pushing us to speak of God's grace to those around us. We need power to follow through on this call. Where do you find that power?
Did you say CALL?
For a long time, the term ‘call’ was one of the scariest words I could hear in relation to the action/job I was supposed to do. On the one hand, when I thought about what the call was on my life, I would spin my wheels. It was such a big idea — overwhelming — that I didn’t have a clue what it could be. On the other hand, when I considered what someone else told me her call was, I wondered why I struggled so much to define my call.
Call vs Dream
Over the years, I realized I use the wrong terminology to define what I m. I processed ‘call’ as only an outside force. I played no part in what the thing was for. More recently, I’ve used the term ‘dream’ to talk about this idea of call. There is definitely an outside force (God) who drives me to do certain actions, but there is an inward hope I have to do this same thing.
Writing.
Speaking to groups.
One-on-one connections.
Developing Skills
When you have a dream, it’s vital to go beyond just dreaming. Develop your natural talent into a learned skill. My dream to communicate began bubbling to my surface 15 years ago, so I’ve worked on it in different ways over these years to develop the skill of communication.
Writing Skill
My intentional development began with writing. For over a year, I wrote every day for at least a few minutes. Most of those days it would be an hour or two. I grew immensely as a writer that year and beyond as I continued to write.
I’ve by no means arrived, but I’m a much-improved writer than I was ten years ago.
Speaking Skill
It’s been a more recent dream to communicate via writing, but I’ve been speaking in front of groups since I was a teenager. I started in front of classrooms and school assemblies, and I shared in my church youth group. Speaking in front of groups started in my mid-teen years, but it ramped up in my early twenties when I began working with children.
If you think speaking in front of kids is preferable to adults, you’ve never been tasked to command the attention of a group of kids (from several dozen to a few hundred) at once. I learned more in those years of communicating with children than I have in all my years of speaking to adults.
I still have a lot to learn. But I’m an improved communicator in front of groups compared to ten years ago.
Coaching Skills
More recently, I’ve found myself working with people in a one-on-one situation. I’m an okay counselor, but I am a better coach. I’m still learning, and I look forward to diving deeper into enhancing my communication skills in a personal setting.
The Call to Communicate
I began this post by defining the difference between a call (an outside force) and a dream (a mix of inward hope mixed with an outside force). I have the dream to communicate, but it’s very possible you do not. However, you do have the call to communicate. We all do. It’s a directive from God.
God may not be asking you to write. You may not be called to speak in front of groups. But God does want you to share the good things happening in your life. The communication he is calling you to could be a simple social media post. You might be asked to have a conversation with a neighbor or co-worker. Communication could be as simple as smiling at the person in front of you in the grocery line.
Quiet: a Communication Tip
So let me share a simple tip I stumbled upon a few years ago. It was so important, I wrote it down in my journal and then copied it to my notes folder on my phone. I recently scrolled through some of those notes, and it jumped out at me again.
The power to communicate comes through journaling in quiet, intentional time with God.
Like many followers of Jesus, I’ve known this little nugget for a long time. I heard other people preach this truth. But it became a personal revelation to me just recently.
The same is true for you. No matter how you’ve been called to share with others, your power comes from regular, quiet, intentional time with God. We’re not naturally good at this. Sitting in a quiet space is hard work.
Enter the Silence
[Warning] I’m about to do something preachers are often accused of — taking scripture out of context. The scripture below is not about hearing from God in order to communicate more effectively. It’s about the pain and suffering the people of Israel are experiencing because of their sinful actions. Jeremiah is calling them to a place of repentance where they can then hear God.
However, there is a principle at work in this passage about hearing God. So indulge me for a moment…
When life is heavy and hard to take,
go off by yourself. Enter the silence.
Bow in prayer.
Don’t ask questions: Wait for hope to appear.
Don’t run from trouble. Take it full-face.
The “worst” is never the worst.Lamentations 3:28-30
There is power in entering into silence with God. It’s powerful to sit without asking questions and simply listen and wait on God. In the quiet moment, when God speaks, it’s like a thunder crash.
Hope appears.
What I’ve found is it becomes natural to share these inspirational, “God” moments with others. Sometimes it’s in a natural one-on-one setting. Other times it is in my writing, speaking, or coaching.
You’ve been called to communicate with those around you. Communicate from a place of power. Spend quiet and intentional time with God. Record what you hear, and be ready for your opportunity to share.