James was right. Most of us could benefit from being quick to listen and slow to speak. If you think about it, many of the problems we encounter are due (at least in part) to poor communication. Either someone isn’t listening well or someone is unable to clearly communicate their ideas. As a result, frustration increases and conflicts begin. Remember, the frustration with poor communication was so strong at the Tower of Babel that the people scattered all over the earth!
There’s a fun activity you can do with your kids to help them work on their communication skills. You will need plain sheets of paper and pencils, crayons, markers, etc.
Call your kids together and ask them to think of times in the Bible when there were problems with communication. They may mention the Tower of Babel, Balaam’s talking donkey or one of the times Peter spoke too quickly. Read them James 1:19. Explain that it takes a lot of practice to be a good listener and an effective communicator. Good communication is about the words used, but also tone of voice, attitude, body language and more.
Give everyone a sheet of paper and crayons, pencils or markers. Choose one person to be “It”. That person shields his or her paper from view and begins creating a simple drawing. Using only words that describe the lines to be drawn and each new line or shape’s position in relation to previously drawn lines or the paper itself (as opposed to “draw a house with two windows”), “It” should describe the lines and shapes to be drawn as he or she is drawing. When the picture is complete, have everyone share their finished drawings. Who came closest to matching the original? What made it more difficult or easier at times? How can the next person communicate more clearly or the others listen better to get better results?
Regularly make time to work on listening skills with your children. Remind them to give equal talking time to others in a conversation (This is more difficult for extroverts.) Teach them how to both listen and speak with empathy. Strong communication skills will make living the Christian life easier for them.