So often, we hear things very differently than what was actually said.

We could say that the fault of a communication misunderstanding lies in the poor expression on the part of the one doing the talking, but more often than not, we filter what we hear through our preconceived notions.

Basically, we are already making assumptions, and so we presume things that were never stated, let alone implied. This causes unnecessary confusion, inaccurate information, offenses, and hurt feelings.

We do it in marriage:

Husband: I’m planning on going canoeing with the guys on Saturday.

Wife hears:  I don’t love you as much as you love me.

We do it with acquaintances:

Person A:  I hate spaghetti.

Person B hears:  You like spaghetti, therefore you’re stupid.

It takes conscious effort to overcome our “auto-pilot” ears and endeavor to listen with an open mind.  Sometimes we even have to say, “I heard you say ____.  Is that what you meant?”  It seems silly, but I think the extra work is worth it.

Christians, especially, should be able to overcome differing personalities, worldviews, and culture to communicate on a deeper level.  May we have the mind of Christ that allows us to truly “hear” another person’s heart.

Tags: Christianity, presuppositions, worldview