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The ability we have to communicate with one another is one of the characteristics humans have that separate us from animals.  We have language, lingos, cliches, written word, and have advanced our communication skills to encompass  various forms of technology, television, radio, internet, phones, billboards, books print and digital.

But with all these means of communication, we as a people are so disconnected.  Because of our inability to effectively communicate with one another we become prisoners on an island of our own creation, which is the root of the selfishness, and self-centeredness we see exalted everyday and exudes in every class of people, the poor, the middle-class and the wealthy. 

We have no desire to hear one another. Everyone wants to get their point across, exalt their agenda, without any consideration for another’s point, agenda, hope and dreams.  Not only is that stance one that is selfish and self-center, in the eyes of God it's foolish. Proverbs 18:2 A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion.

Communication by definition is the exchanging of ideas, and information.

Oftentimes arguments happen because of bad communication.  We misjudge others and their intentions simply because we don’t communicate well. I have to confess, because even with the mantle of ministry on me, I am not perfect.  I had a, let’s call it a heated time of fellowship with my brother, the bishop a little more than a week ago, and the root cause of  it wasn’t that we weren’t communicating, but  bad communication.

In Joshua 22 The tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh, with Joshua’s blessing, were told that it was okay to go back to their settlements across the Jordan, now that the Israelites had come into their inheritance.

But before doing so, the three tribes built an altar.  The other Israelites got really upset about this, because God had specifically commanded that when they reached the promised land, they could no longer build altars just anywhere, but only in the place where God directed them to.  And so they went to confront their brothers, ready to make war against them if necessary.

But the three tribes reassured the rest of the Israelites that they were not intending to use the altar for sacrifices.  Rather, it was a sign to them and their descendants that they all belonged to the same God.  And so a war was averted.

I think there are a couple of things we can learn from this.  First, communication is vital in order to avoid misunderstandings.  It would’ve been so much better if when the three tribes were leaving, they had asked the elders of Israel to come with them, and to build the altar in front of them, while explaining why they were doing so.  Instead, they built the altar with no explanations, leaving the rest of the Israelites to assume the worst.

Bad communication comes when one or both parties assume the intentions of another, don’t take the time to listen, or when one or both parties engage in conversations with a mindset already determined, without any real desire to understand, see or embrace the other point of view.  James 1:19 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger

Back to the book of Joshua. When the three tribes built the altar, the other ten tribes leaped to the wrong conclusion and got very upset as a result.  But one thing they did do right was to confront their brothers about it directly.  And because they did that, the miscommunication was resolved quickly.

  or your best friend declares they are working out in your name, nothing.  

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