God’s design for communication in your marriage is the topic we will be learning this Sunday morning. Most marriages do not fail because of one catastrophic blowup; they die through a thousand miscommunications and misunderstandings. Genuine communication in marriage requires that the husband and wife seek to understand and to be understood. James 1:19 teaches, “let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.” The target of communication is understanding (Proverbs 24:3-4). We’ll learn that understanding takes time and necessitates listening. Understanding requires trust. We must allow one another to express their hearts and not react with contention (Ephesians 4:26-27). Instead, we should respond with words of grace (Ephesians 4:29). Understanding is built on truth. This refers foremost to the truth of the gospel and God’s Word. The flow of truth continues with our words and our behavior. In Luke 6:43-45, Jesus taught that it is out of the heart that the mouth speaks. All marriage problems are really heart problems. This means that lasting change must travel through the pathway of the heart. 2 Corinthians 5:15 teaches that we should, “live no longer for themselves, but for Him Who died for them and rose again.” The #1 problem in marriage is self. Genuine communication is not my interest in getting my point across, getting my way, or a concern for myself. Genuine communication in marriage requires that the husband and wife seek to understand and to be understood.