TODAY we communicate more than ever before, and through mobile, social media, TV, radio and other ways we are breaking all transmission barriers. But, and, this is a big but, you and I are communicating but are we good communicators? Are you really able to communicate your thoughts? Are you able to make people understand what you want to convey, and sometimes change their way of thinking? Or do people say, “You really know such big words, but we didn’t understand what you meant!” I love taking the example of Jesus, who I feel was the greatest communicator of all time, and I am going to use him as an example to explain good communication: I have taken the name JESUS and am going to expand it across your minds. So here goes: J: The letter J in Jesus is Joyous. Jesus spoke with a sense of joy. He had come down to earth with good news and as you read his words you can literally hear him exuberant and full of jubilation. So, the first golden rule of communication is to tell people something that will change their lives. Speak with joy. E: The E in Jesus is Energy. There was energy in every word he spoke. Not for him, a long, painful, boring discourse. You can actually feel him vibrating with energy. And that is something we need to remember as we communicate. My daughter, who was an anchor on Bloomberg TV, used to say that when she entered the studio, she had to unleash energy. Remember, wherever you are communicating from, a podium, radio, or whichever medium you use, writing or speaking, release energy.
S: The letter S in Jesus, is Simplicity. I am amazed at the simple truths Jesus offered. Not for him, the lengthy philosophies of the Pharisees, Sadducees and other hypocrites. His message was simple, and he said it simply. You want to communicate well, be simple. U: U is for the word Undergird. Undergird means to bolster or strengthen yourself from underneath. And what has to be underneath is the truth. Jesus undergirded himself with the scriptures, and we also should sit tight on the truth.
S: Finally, the last letter S in Jesus, is about being sensitive. Yes, as a preacher, and a healer, as one who had come to save, he was sensitive. He did not preach down to people, no, he was sensitive to their needs and addressed those needs. We need to learn to be sensitive to people around us. If you don’t know what people want, what will you tell them? So be sensitive.
And with these few tips, I wish you well. Become great communicators, and learn from the greatest communicator of all time, who also through his death on the cross communicated to all of us, that we can now walk with God everyday of our lives..!
—Email: bobsbanter@gmail.com
