Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.
James 1:19 (NIV)Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
James 1:22 (NIV)Listen First
The best evangelists are the best listeners. Before you share your story, learn to hear theirs. People do not need you to fix them. They need someone to hear them. And the willingness to listen communicates something that no argument ever could.
James says be quick to listen, slow to speak. The order matters. Listen first. Then speak. That is not just good evangelism advice. It is good human advice.
The Power of a Question
A good question does more than gather information. It communicates respect. It says I value your opinion. I want to hear your story. I think what you think matters.
Here are some questions that open doors: What do you think happens when we die? Has anything ever happened that you could not explain? What do you really think about church? What was your experience with faith growing up?
These are not trick questions. They are real questions. And they create space for real conversation.
Listening Without an Agenda
The key is listening without an agenda. If you are listening only to find the opening to share your faith, they will feel it. And they will close down. But if you are genuinely interested in their story, in their journey, in what they have experienced, they will feel the difference.
People are desperate to be heard. Not to be fixed. Not to be saved. Just to be heard. And the person who listens well becomes the person they trust. And the person they trust becomes the person they ask.
Ask One Curious Question
This week, ask someone a genuine question about their faith journey. Not a leading question. Not a setup. A real question. And then listen to the answer without planning your response.
- What questions have I always wanted to ask someone about their faith?
- Am I a good listener? How do I know?
- What would it look like to listen without an agenda?
- Am I quick to listen or quick to speak?
- What makes someone a good listener?
- How does it feel to be truly heard?
Think about a time someone really listened to you. How did it feel? What did that person communicate to you just by listening? Now think about what it would mean to be that person for someone else.
God, give me the patience to listen before I speak. Help me to ask genuine questions and to hear the answers without planning my response. Teach me to value their story as much as I want them to value mine. In Jesus Name, Amen.
The best evangelists are the best listeners. Before you share your story, learn to hear theirs.
Day 3. With honesty and hope,
Claire