Are you boring?

We live in a communication world. We have never been more connected, yet we often struggle with being understood, being clear, being relevant, or being influential with the greatest message ever proclaimed. Is the message of Christ out of step with our culture? Do we need to change it? Or do we need to better understand the communication process in today’s busy world.

My university teaching is usually on a topic that most college students think is out of date. Radio. Yet by the end of the semester they have come to realize why radio continues to have a powerful role in our culture today Sure, we don’t sit around the radio as a family in the evening listening to radio dramas. New technologies and our modern-day lifestyles have shifted the way we use radio.

The students also discover that many of the principles for effective radio have a broader application, encompassing the communication process in general.

Radio specialist Valerie Geller lays out many of these principles in our book, Beyond Powerful Radio. Here are a few of the points that Geller uses as she consults with clients all over the world.

1. Tell the truth.

2. Make it matter.

3. Never be boring.

4. Speak visually, in terms your audience can “picture.”

5. Address the individual as “you.” Talk to one person at a time.

6. Be who you are.

7. Take risks

8. Dare to be great.

Number two is critical. When we share spiritual truth, we need to be sure the audience knows it is important. It matters. Number five is important, too. For radio in particular, the use of “you” in your conversation and the understanding of the intimate medium of radio will link you in amazing ways to the listeners.

I especially like number eight. When our purpose is right, and our message is based on God’s Truth, we can and should aim for excellence in our presentation. There is no good reason to be second best in presenting biblical truth. We should strive to be the best communicator around.

As I mentioned earlier, many of these principles and suggestions will also help us in our day-to-day communications. Speaking visually is important, using language that paints pictures for the listener to “see.” Think of the stories of the Bible, the stories and parables that Jesus told. We can often pull up visual images that help enhance the stories and help them stay with us.

I can see in my mind the rather small man named Zacchaeus as he climbed up in a nearby tree to get above the crowd with hopes of seeing Jesus as he passed by. Even without the help of Hollywood movies, I can see the agony of Christ on the cross. If I say “Noah,” do you see his ark?

The stories of the Bible are not boring. And neither should we be boring as we share the greatest story mankind has ever heard… that the God who hung the stars in place sent His son to be born as a baby in a smelly animal stall. Jesus would live a life of impact on all around Him, and then die on the cruelest of all methods of punishment ever devised…the cross. We can picture him there. And we see the rock tomb where Jesus was buried, with its big stone blocking the entryway. Such a powerful, visual story.

Let’s sharpen our communication skills. Someone today needs to hear the most important news in our world. And you are the one who may need to deliver it.