Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear (Ephesians 4:29 NASB).

... a recent study ... reveals that a good number of people "communifake" quite often in social situations to avoid feeling like losers. The most insecure group happened to be the 18 to 24 year-old crowd with a good 74 percent of them admitting to "communifaking" when feelings of loneliness set in, but the college crowd is rarely alone. A few more women (42 percent) than men (32 percent) also turned to their trusty phone when they were alone waiting for a friend or trying to avoid conversation with strangers around them. Psychotherapist Lesley Haswell seems to have some insight into the fake communication phenomena. "People experience the need to appear socially busy at all times and 'just waiting' is a no-no. Our basic human instinct is to be part of a group. Alone we can feel more vulnerable" (http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/hughes/34546).

You never know when you're going to learn a new, very useful word. "Communifaking" has the promise of both meaning and function. The reason is obvious: there is a lot of "communifaking" happening, and it's not limited to folks trying to look busy on their cell phones. "Communifaking" happens at home. Spouses, parents, children — everybody in the household may engage in some "communifaking." We want to appear that we're communicating, but we're not. It happens at work and among business associates. You've probably heard some communifake the last time you listened to a sales pitch. You don't think there has been some "communifaking" going on during the political campaigns recently? Why do we continue to get a barrage of political spinners, each of whom has the job of putting their side in the best light, while putting the other side in the worst light? Never mind the real facts and truthful information. Perception and appearances are what count.

It's amazing how much "communifaking" happens.

I suppose one could read Paul's instruction in the verse above and think that he was encouraging a little "communifaking." After all, it sounds like he's telling us to craft our words in positive ways. I suppose he's doing that, but I don't think he's encouraging fake communication. Paul wanted us to stop hurting one another with our words. Read the entire passage in Ephesians 4 and you'll discover many things there, all designed to heal and create positive human interaction.

Some may honestly believe they don't engage in "communifaking." Maybe so, but it's such a widespread problem that it's likely to hit all of us sooner or later. I wonder if we ever communifake with God?

Communicating with God requires honesty from us. After all, God is all-knowing, and he's every where we are. The height of futility is trying to pull a fast one on God. Still, there are people who do that. They do it with prayers that are insincere. They do it with words spoken to others that are not true or are not loving and kind. They do it when their hypocritical behavior says one thing while the truth is something else. All of those things, whether intended or not, are things communicated to God. It's amazing how much "communifaking" happens. Perhaps we should be less concerned with how we look to others, and more concerned with the messages we're really sending. Let's communicate, not "communifake."

 

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Title: "Communifaking"
Author: Bill Denton
Publication Date: November 28, 2008

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