Making Your Relationship Better: Makes Your Ministry Better!
How Well Do You Listen?
Written by Anthony Small
How do you feel when you are trying to tell your partner something that you know without a shadow of a doubt will help them but, they refuse to listen? Assuming they know what you are going to say, your partner decides that it is not necssary to hear what you have to say. Or, they start to shut you down by cutting you off and talking over you. Have you ever experienced this in a relationship?
When you are communicating with to your partner, it is essential that you listen to what each other has to say. However, when it gets to the point that you are cutting each other off, then there is a problem. Anyone who deliberately and continually cuts you off when you are trying to make a point to them is showing no concern for what you have to say. In other words, there is a lack of courtesy and respect taking place in the sitatuion. In particularly, sometimes it is even more devastating to the man in the relationship when this occurs because for him, RESPECT is the number one thing every man desires most from his partner. If respect is not given or made to be a priority during communication, then respect will not be given or received in other areas of the relationship.
So how can this be resolved? The way to handle this problem is to simply do what James 1:19 says: ".....You must be slow to speak and quick to listen...." It may sound simple, because it is simple. Many of the problems in relationships occur because both people want their opinion to be heard, and they don't want to listen to the things their partner has to say. Always remember this one thing: Your partner may be able to see things in you that you can't see in yourself, and vice versa. God sent you both into each other's lives to love and learn from each other, and the only way you can do that is to listen.
So, if you don't think you can keep yourself silent while your partner is talking, consider both of you writing your concerns down and reading them later, or responding back by in writing. This will keep things like sarcasm, negativity and other bad communication habits down as to not say hurtful things unnecessarily. Try it and see how your relationship will improve!
About the Author:
Anthony Small, contributing editor for PreachingWoman.com, is an entreprenuer that loves to write for the glory of God. He is the CEO of PreachPastorPreach.com and TakeYourBusinessToTheNextLevel.com web design company. Visit his website at http://www.TakeYourBusinessToTheNextLevel.comor http://www.PreachPastorPreach.com