HOW TO MAKE PEOPLE WANT TO LISTEN

If you want people to listen to what you have to share concerning the Good News of Jesus, you need to be likable. Here are three traits that will help:

1) You have to be able to laugh at yourself. If you don’t enjoy other people good-naturedly poking fun at you, you will not be able to connect to others. People only joke with people they love. If you enjoy good-natured jokes about yourself people will love you even more. There’s something very endearing about being able to laugh at yourself. It makes you relatable.

2) You have to have the ability to overlook offenses. If you look for the good or the bad, you will see what you are looking for. Always assume the best in every situation and look for the best motives from each person. People will live up to what you see in them. In addition, “Love covers a multitude of sins.”

3) You have to have the ability to forgive. There will always be times when people let you down. They are human. You must be able to show grace when you are offended.

If you are easily offended you are going to live a miserable life. If you are easily offended, you will probably always be offended. In addition, you won’t have authentic relationships because people will always feel like they have to walk on eggshells around you. Nat King Cole sang, “Unforgettable.” It might have been an even better song if it was named, “Unoffendable.”

Laugh at yourself. Forgive easily. And be hard to offend. People will love you, and most importantly, they will be far more likely to listen to what you have to say about Jesus.