The longer I live, the more convinced I am that communication is about 90% perception. Speak, and the hearer will filter your words through the lens of his own experience and mindset. Let’s use two examples to illustrate this communication-perception issue.
Example 1:
A young man tells a young lady, “I love you.”
The young lady perceives that her boyfriend thinks she is special and lovely. As she continues along this train of thought, before long she imagines that he surely must want a deep relationship with her. She thinks, He said he loves me. Soon, he will ask me to marry him.
To the young man, however, saying “I love you” is nothing more than mere words. While the young lady is thinking about marriage, lifelong commitment is the furthest thing from his mind.
Example 2:
A mother is talking to a friend as her twin boys play on the swing set. “Yes, they are a handful,” the mother says, “but I wouldn’t trade them for anything. They are great boys.”
Both boys hear the complete conversation, but the first boy takes notice of, “Yes, they are a handful.” He draws the conclusion that Mom thinks he is a lot of trouble.
The other boy perks up at the words, “I wouldn’t trade them for anything. They are great boys.” He gets a secure feeling and is so happy to have a mom who loves him so much.
Identical words. Different perceptions.
When we communicate with God, we need to learn to listen to Him. Really listen. Instead of reading His Word with preconceived ideas, we need to read prayerfully with a desire to understand His thoughts, His mind, and His intentions.
As much as possible, we must not allow our past experiences and our own ideas to filter and alter God’s voice. Try to disassociate God from every other relationship and voice in your life – past and present. Don’t put words in His mouth. Don’t make Him say something He is not saying.
Hear. Listen. Perceive.
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