23/10/2020
SIX WAYS TO MAKE PEOPLE LIKE YOU:
Food for thought: Did you ever stop to think that a dog is the only animal that doesn’t have to work for a living? A hen has to lay eggs, a cow has to give milk, man has to sweat for a living, but a dog makes his living by giving love to its master.
Ellen G. White says Christ method alone will work for anyone who wants to make and keep friends. His method was one of love and concern for people. Christ mingled with people, saw their needs, sympathized with their needs, met their felt needs, won their confidence and then asked them to follow and they did follow Him. Here are the SIX WAYS, suggested by Dale Carnegie, to make people like you!
• Become genuinely interested in other people. Alfred Adler, a famous Viennese psychologist said “It is the individual who is not interested in his fellow men who has the greatest difficulties in life and provides the greatest injury to others. It is from among such individuals that all human failures spring.” Let your friends know that you are genuinely interested in them. Fast for those that you have to. Give money to those that you have to. Protect those that you have to, especially the youth.
• Give a captivating smile. A simple statement like “I am glad to see you,” with a broad smile on the face goes a long way to heal people of despondency. Shakespeare said “There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.” If you think that someone is bad, you cannot smile to him or her. But if you have it in your mind that all God’s people are good through the grace of Christ (which we all need to be good), you will show it with a smile on your face. “Your smile is a Messenger of your goodwill. Your smile brightens the lives of all who see it.” It is said that Jesus never laughed loud, but he kept his smile all the time, even during his trial. SMILE TO ALL AND YOU WILL MAKE AND KEEP FRIENDS. DON’T LOOK TOO SERIOUS!
• Remember that a person’s name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language. Has someone miss-pelt your name? How did you feel? Has someone ever called your name wrongly, as many do to me many times because they know that I am not good at names myself? I don’t like it when people call my name wrongly. How do you feel when it is done to you? How do you feel when a member calls you by your title? Try to learn many of people’s right names. Call them by their first names and they will adore you. Any time God wanted to address a prophet, he did call the prophet’s name. Remember! A name is more than gold to an individual. The wise man Solomon said: “A good name is better than silver and gold.”
• Be a good listener. Encourage others to talk about themselves and show interest in what they are saying by reflection (nodding your head or by voice response). Avoid interruptions when a friend is talking to you. Ask questions that the other person will enjoy and feel comfortable answering. Encourage people to talk about their accomplishments in Christ and in life.
• Talk in terms of the other person’s interest. Address people from the known to the unknown. Come to their level in your communication. Ask them about their families, job, and progress in life. Finally, make the other person feel important, and do it sincerely.
• Talk to people about their spiritual and financial growth even if it is not as expected.
Let them know that you are interested in their family lives, spirituality and financial progress, however insignificant it might seem to you. Our duty as a friend is to build up, and not to destroy.
God bless. Pastor Andrews Ewoo
