What Are Our Words Saying?

You've probably heard the saying, "It's not what you say, it's how you say it." I'm going to suggest that it is both what you say and how you say it. Lately, We've been teaching our kids about their responsibility in speech. Over the last two years I have been holding to a verbal lifestyle that says,
If it comes out of my mouth, I'm responsible for:

• What I said.
• What I meant.
• All the non verbals (body language)
• How what I said was received and interpreted.

In short, if I say something and someone interprets it differently than how I meant it, it is MY response-ability to:

1. Apologize for any miscommunication
2. Offer Clarification
3. Learn from my communicative mistake.

I've seen so many relationships destroyed because someone wouldn't take responsibility for what they said. Perhaps this is why in Collosians 4:66, Paul writes, "Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone". NIV

This is especially true for the target audience of the above verse - the believers. Just a few words that are misinterpreted by the hearer can have devastating effects.