Christ-like Communication

Imagine a castaway on an uninhabited island, whose only hope of rescue is the weather-beaten short-wave radio he's found. The problem is, the transmitter is fouled up. Both his sending and receiving is confused, distorted, almost unintelligible. Every message is garbled by static and vital information is lost, and rescue is therefore uncertain.

 

Now, this is a pretty fair metaphor for human communication, don't you think?

 

As fallen men and women our transmitters and receivers are seriously flawed. How often what we say falls short of what we would have liked to have said, what we should have said, or what we later wish we'd said. We leave things out, or we speak them poorly. At best, we fall short in our speech of what might be called, in a court of law, "the whole truth," and at worst we give out false information, misleading our would-be rescuers.

 

Then again we misunderstand or misinterpret the words of others.

 

We mix in our own prejudices and presumptions. We're defensive, and hear insults where none was intended. Or we're prideful, and treat the words of others with disdain. Or perhaps we suffer from self-contempt, so that we fail to trust words of love or comfort, for we can't really believe anyone could possibly love us.

 

In these and a thousand other ways we garble the messages that are sent our way or that we are to send to others.

 

You see, our metaphorical castaway doesn't just have a hardware problem—he has a flesh problem. The distortion of his message is sometimes intentional and he can't seem to help it. He drives away hope with mixed signals, with lies, pridefully declaring that he doesn't need any help at all, thank you.

 

In John 7:1-5 we see Jesus's brothers speaking to Jesus in much the same tone as the Pharisees:

 

After these things Jesus walked in Galilee; for He did not want to walk in Judea, because the Jews sought to kill Him.  Now the Jews' Feast of Tabernacles was at hand. His brothers therefore said to Him, "Depart from here and go into Judea, that Your disciples also may see the works that You are doing. For no one does anything in secret while he himself seeks to be known openly. If You do these things, show Yourself to the world." For even His brothers did not believe in Him.

 

If you are truly who you say you are, go up to Jerusalem and declare yourself publicly, they say. They seem to be goading Jesus in order that he might prove himself to them. And the John adds, For even his brothers did not believe in Him (John 7:5). Later, one of those brothers, James, would right: For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body (James 3:2). James, no doubt is speaking from experience, and is pinpointing the central importance of communication in our own growth in righteousness.

 

 He continues, Indeed, we put bits in horses' mouths that they may obey us, and we turn their whole body. Look also at ships: although they are so large and are driven by fierce winds, they are turned by a very small rudder wherever the pilot desires. Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind. But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening? Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh (James 3:3-12).

So, you see, our castaway is in a fine predicament.

 

Sometimes he thinks he might save himself by his own speech, but he condemns himself further. However, the important thing to remember here is that all is not lost, as believers we are to be daily seeking to become Christ-like in every area of our lives—this includes our communication through our speech.

 

Our castaway does have a rescuer... One who knows the exact coordinates of his little uninhabited island, and wants to transform his communication for His glory alone.