Do you have a love and passion for sharing the Word of God with others? Do you feel fulfilled when sharing your thoughts about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ with those close to you? Do you enjoy speaking about God? If the answer to all three of those questions is “yes,” then you’re doing great. However, how much time and effort do you dedicate to listening to what others have to share? Do you open your mind and heart to what the other person has to say?
Far too often, as evangelists, our hearts are full of love for the person we’re talking to. That is a great starting point. However, in our eagerness to share what we know to be true about Jesus, we don’t really listen to what they’re saying. We eagerly await our chance to reply to them. We already know what we’re going to say. We believe that we know best and that our way is the right way.
If you’ve come this far into this post, you’ve probably realized that this is the wrong approach. There is value, dignity, and opportunity in listening. We learn not only about the person we’re talking to, and what they hold to be true, we also learn more about ourselves. Instead of delivering a pre-cooked generic message to them, we can give them one that is uniquely suited to their situation. Who knows, they may even give you something to think about.
Crucial Lessons Learned from Listening
As an evangelist, when you begin opening yourself up to the person you’re communicating with and truly listening to them, you’ll find these important things happening:
1. You Learn to Respect Them
When you actually start listening to others, you begin to learn an important lesson—listening is respecting. You begin to realize that prior to that moment, you weren’t really respecting the other person, their experiences, and their points of view. You were just looking for a chance to say what you wish to say. Respecting others is crucial to our lives as Christians, so we must open ourselves up to listening.
2. You Learn New Things
Listening to others means actually processing what they have to say. You hear, understand, and learn new things—you learn about new points of view and new experiences. This helps you become more aware and enlightened.
3. You Notice Bridges That Connect Them to You
What others have to say always opens up ways that help you connect with them. When you listen to them, you can easily recognize the bridges that others place in front of you. You can tailor your message so that it is relevant and uniquely suited to their circumstances and situation.
If you wish to learn more about how to connect with God and others in a more meaningful way, consider tuning into uplifting Christian radio networks and live preaching podcasts.
TLDM Evangelistic Media Network is an esteemed radio network that provides the opportunity to stream Christian talk radio and listen to Evangelistic sermons and worship songs from the comfort and safety of your own home. We also have a robust collection of sermon classics and featured messages available online that can help provide insight into a variety of subjects you may wish to learn about.
Visit our website to learn more and start listening today!