Several years ago, I was teaching a class on Small Group Dynamics. On the overhead projector screen, a chart displayed intriguing information about the way we communicate with others. According to this chart, only 7 percent of what people “hear” from us is communicated by words. 55 percent of the message that others receive from us is communicated by our body language…by our facial expressions, sighs, eye movements, gestures and other non-verbal displays. The remaining 38 percent of what people “hear” is communicated through our tone of voice. In other words, 93% of our communication with others is non-verbal!
Suddenly, one of the group participants had an “Aha” moment. Pointing to the chart, Pat exclaimed, “Now I see how God can declare in 1 Peter that husbands can be won over to the Lord without a word, just by the behavior of their wives!” The class agreed as we realized that many times our non-verbal actions and tone of voice do speak much louder than our words.
Pat’s words prompted me to consider my own communication patterns. I pondered this question, “Does my non-verbal behavior and tone of voice convey love and respect to my husband, children, coworkers and those I encounter throughout my day?” I cringed as I remembered recent times when I’d rolled my eyes or huffed in frustration at family members. I realized that many times my words are laced with sarcasm or accompanied with a harsh tone.
With a repentant heart, I asked God to help me communicate His message of love…without a word!
