Talking to other people

I read today that according to a study published in Scientific American, we each speak an average of 16,000 words per day.

 

(I would suspect - that for women, the number of words is higher).  :)

 

If I were to ask you, "how many different people, people outside of your circle of friends do you speak with," most folks would say that they routinely converse with a very rich and diverse variety of people very day.

 

But separate research studies show that we routinely talk to a very small group of the same people over and over again.

 

Most people converse with 7 to 15 people very day - but here's the deal - about 80% of our words are shared with a small group of about 5 trusted confidants, allies, and friends.

 

That means that close to 13,000 of our 16,000 daily words are directed at a very small group of friends and confidants.

 

These closest coworkers, team members, family members, and friends make up our true inner circle.  These are the people who think like us, care about us, and believe in us.

 

Now here is the challenge:  Perhaps, just perhaps, God is calling  you to (with intentionality) reach out to those outside of your Christian "huddles" and build relationships with people outside the church or with people who don't know Christ.

 

At any rate, I encourage you to make it a point to speak with one person (outside of your small group of friends) each day.

 

After all, don't we have the good news?  (We do!)

 

Just a thought for a Tuesday.