Some people no matter how hard you work at trying to communicate with tact and diplomacy they have a tendency to be petty and sensitive about everything and with everyone. The weapon of choice that the enemy uses amongst people that share covenant relationships is miscommunication and misunderstanding. The enemy uses his weapons to promote and give life to other spirits and attitudes. In other words, when miscommunications happen sometimes we stuff come out of folks that we have never seen, that is out of character for that person or something we thought was dead manifests.

As Christians, one of our most basic needs is the need to have answers and the need for reasons and explanations. Absent those needs, our minds switch to a fear-based mode where we have to satisfy our need for answers with that of assumption. Assumption is the spouse of fear because we oftentimes assume the worst based on our fears and insecurities. Assumption therefore fulfills our need for a logical explanation for the unexplainable event and we tend to become locked into that assumption, believing it as truth.

When we are faced with miscommunication, we have to keep our minds open to additional possibilities without adopting a certain truth about the other person or situation until we know exactly from them what they are thinking and what was their intent.

There are really only two types of miscommunication. Inadvertent and Purposeful. (Both can be avoided).

Inadvertent miscommunication arises when people are careless. All of us at some point or another fail to express ourselves clearly or do not take the time to listen.

True statement: People hear what they want to hear. Why? Because it suits their own needs. They do not care about what anyone else thinks, does or says. Purposeful miscommunication arises over perceived slights, lack of respect or the need to exercise power. Typically, such faults in communication fester over time, irritating everyone and raising tension levels to a boil.