I know that, personally, one of my biggest pet peeves is when someone avoids me. Maybe they just don't like me, or we're experiencing conflict. In either case, I'm a woman of action. I like to resolve things quickly. The worst thing for me is to just sit and stew. If I feel like something is not being said, it bugs me. I dwell on it. I wonder if it's just not that big of a deal or if I'm being left out of something important.
This semester I'm in a class called Interpersonal Communications. One of the things we've learned is how important it is to communicate openly. Receiving the "silent treatment" is one of the worst feelings to experience. It's vital to actively listen to people and let them know that you value them.
God never gives us the "silent treatment". It's true that he doesn't generally speak audible words to us. But he communicates in so many other ways: his Word in the Bible, our circumstances, events in our lives, people that we meet, etc. We should strive to listen whenever and however he speaks to us. He always listens to us. In Isaiah 65:24 He says, "Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear."
God listens to us even before we speak. He truly hears the deepest words of our hearts. Sometimes that seems like a scary thought, if you consider the sinfulness that we harbor inside. Fear not. He always loves us, always forgives us, and always continues to speak to us.
