Just How Important is Communication in a Marriage

Though I loathe cliche’s concerning marriage, some phrases and expressions are overused for a reason, they are universally applicable.

To say communication is important in a marriage may be a cliche, but it is, nonetheless, an all-important subject. Here is a little encouragement as to why we should put such a high priority on communication in marriage.

Jesus is the Word

Have you ever thought about this: Jesus’ very name is the Word according to John
1:1 and Revelation 19:13. In other words, Jesus is God’s expression to man of His very being and essence (Hebrews 1:3) .

If Jesus’ very name is the Word, then that alone should speak volumes in that God’s nature is to communicate Himself to His creation.

Likewise, if God is the Great communicator, then we should also follow his steps in our relationship with Him and others. In fact, if we fail to communicate properly I believe it is safe to conclude the following:

1. How can we say we are walking in the fullness of the Spirit if we are not effectively communicating to others?

Once again, if God’s very nature is to communicate, then how can we say we are walking in the Spirit if we fail to do the same.

2. If a man is going to truly be like Christ according to Ephesians 5:25, then he is to be to his wife what Christ is to him, a great communicator.

3. The Great Communicator lives inside all believers.

If Jesus is the Word and He lives inside of us, then we have the power and the encouragement to communicate effectively inside of us.

Friendly Fire

Every war is plagued with friendly fire. That is, needless deaths and tragedies come as a result of soldiers in the same army firing upon one another.

Though there are a myriad of reasons as to why friendly fire occurs during a time of war, one of the primary reasons is that there is a breakdown in communication.

The same is true for husbands and wives in that when they fire upon one another, it is almost because they have failed to communicate in an effective manner. In fact, I usually find that husbands and wives are typically trying to reach the same goals, yet a failure to communicate will often cause them to appear as if they are on opposing sides. In my view, this is always the great tragedy of poor communication in a marriage.

Solomon Said So

Proverbs 18:20 teaches:

“A man’s belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth; and with the increase of his lips shall he be filled.”

I find this to be an intriguing passage in that Solomon is teaching that satisfaction and peace in our lives is a direct result of our ability to communicate effectively.

Solomon uses the expression “the fruit of his mouth”. This is a direct reference to the words we speak, and Solomon is showing us that our joy and contentment in life will be determined by our ability or lack thereof to converse with others in a functional manner.

Do you sometimes lean upon excuses like “I’m just not much of a talker.”, “It’s just not my personality to talk.”, “I just say it like it is.”, or “Sometimes, I just can’t seem to control my tongue.”.

Honestly, it is vital to for us to realize that communication may be more important than we have ever realized, especially in a marriage.

To learn how to communicate more effectively, I would greatly encourage every reader to study chapter 4 of our marriage book. Also, chapters 8 and 9 teach couples how to pave the way for better communication.