IM an introvert. They may not respond. Just kidding. I'm an introvert. I've never been popular or unpopular. So when the Scripture states that Jesus grew in favor with God AND men, I sometimes worry most about the latter. How can I emulate Jesus in this way?
I think it's important, first, to recognize what growing in favor with men does NOT mean. It can't mean we give everyone what they want. Jesus often pleased people, but his mission wasn't to be a people-pleaser. The Pharisees often wanted a straight answer. The crowd often wanted attention. The disciples often wanted promised-positions. Jesus sometimes responded with stories, privacy & rebuke respectively. Not everyone liked Jesus. Some men hated him.
So how can an introvert gain the favor of those around him? I want to mention 4 practical ideas that I intend to try often in 2007:
I resolve...
1) To truly listen- Am I the only one that catches myself thinking of what to say next instead of truly listening to the person I'm conversing with?
2) To take interest in the interests of others- Not as a means to an end, but because I'm truly interested in the person.
3) To keep in touch- In this age of mail, email, ims & blogs, it's really not that hard to initiate and maintain contact. It's amazing how far a simple email can go.
4) To compliment people behind their backs- We often are reminded not to speak about someone negatively behind their back, but God always wants us to replace a bad habit with a good one. Behind the back compliments travel fast and work wonders.
4 comments:
listening is an essential part of pastoral work. i have found that one of the hardest part of listening to the trials of people is that their problems are close to mine. this is very humbling. listening also opens the space of silence for us to hear our own thoughts...raw though they may be.
unrelated - do you remember the website that tells you who on the internet has a link to your blog? I'm interested...
technorati.com would do that for ya
This mini-series of yours is one of my favourites. Sometimes it's so easy to get focused on disciplines and measurable goals, which can can certainly feed intimacy with God and the development of Christlikeness, but not in and of themselves if you lose sight of the purpose.
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