Persuasiveness advocates God's Word to others with confidence so they can be changed in their thinking and can conform to His will. It is having confidence in God so we trust Him to use us to deliver His message. Then, we can do this with encouragement instead of being insensitive or pushy. This character will also allow us to ride out the tough times of life and difficult situations and see God's grace and love in them. It will allow us to stick to His precepts, as well as our friends and family, with honest endeavor. We will be able to give godly, Bible-based feedback with Christ-like temperament (2 Chron. 32:1-8; Esther 7; Luke 16:22-31;18:9; Acts 19:8-10; 26:19-23; Rom. 15:14-16; Phil. 1:6; 12-14, 25; 2 Tim. 2:25).
Ambiguity, Pushiness, apprehension, and anxiety are the opposites. When we lack the confidence that our God is great and that He is empowering us, we will be weak and cave into the will of others instead of being surrendered to His will. We will not be able to effectively exhibit His Word in our lives by example or by words. We will be subject to anxiety and trepidation and our fears will empower us-not His Spirit. It is also contrary to be pushy for our will and not point to His will!
The business world would like us to see Persuasiveness as the strength of the argument,as seeking what we can gain if we do it and what we will lose if we do not, and then persuade someone toward it. However, as a Christian, we need to see what we have gained in Christ-the power of His Spirit and the wonders we have in Him. We have already gained; we have nothing to lose. Thus, we should not fear to tell someone about our Lord, and not fear to correct our child when he or she starts to stray. We are not persuading someone just to get our view across; rather, we persuade to show others Christ crucified and the power He has for us. It is about drawing attention to Christ, character, and what is right-not what we think or our limited, personal views.
Persuasiveness helps us take what we have learned and what has helped us grow and impart it to others. It is pointing others in the right direction-that of God's precepts. It is taking the vital truths of our Lord and presenting them in such a way that they are clear, understandable, and contagious. We do this by our commitment to Jesus and our conviction of faith so that others see Him at work because they see Him working in our lives. It is not being forceful or pushy or yelling or exhibiting a strong will so we bully someone into our way of thinking. Rather, it is operating, as all the characters are, in the parameter of the Fruits of the Spirit. It is making sure that we are right by looking into the Word, not our will, and so we persuade by the leading of His Spirit using good arguments and sound reasoning-with love and care. Our confidence for this comes from our faith-not our will. It is also listening to others to discover where they are coming from so we can meet their needs and help them tear down their own mental barriers to faith.
Being Persuasive with God's truth will be honed from God's character and precepts. Thus, we will never lie or stretch the truth to make our argument more appealing. We will be aware of good timing and what is appropriate to say, how to say it, and when not to say it. It is honoring others while appealing to their conscience and reasoning to see our point. Paul, in 2 Timothy, tells us to be Persuasive humbly. Even when people come against us in harsh ways, we do not respond in a harsh way; we are to tell-gently! We are to tell people the Truth gently, and then point them to the hope we have in Christ. The Spirit will help lead them to repentance, while we instruct with His knowledge (2 Tim. 2:25). Paul is also saying not to give up; we are never to assume a person is lost, because they are in God's hands not ours. We are called to deliver the message in the best way we can, not worry about the result, because that is in His control.
Persuasiveness is leading others to the Truth with His truth from His Word in His character! In this way, we are helping people change their hearts and minds from their faulty thinking to His Way of thinking and life. It is being conformed in our thinking to His. We must have this thinking ourselves before we can expect others to have it (Rom. 12:1-2). The best means of providing evidence for the truth of Christianity is not rooted in the skill of our argument; rather, it is in the love of the person presenting the argument! It is the development of our faith in Him that points to the Truth! We have to have a life and faith that is revitalized! Our revitalized life will be the quintessential work we do to make His precepts known to others. We do this by seeing Jesus, hearing His call, and following Him by learning His precepts. Remember, your life, and how you live it, is the greatest persuasive power you can have on someone (Eph. 4:2; 5:9; Col. 3:12-15)!
Here is how you can find out. Take a careful look at this character and Fruit of Persuasiveness from God's most precious Word by examining the passages below. Now ask yourself:
- How do I exhibit Persuasiveness in my daily life?
- What can I do to develop a better willingness to be more Persuasive with my faith towards others?
- What blocks Persuasiveness from working and being exhibited in me?
- How can I make Persuasiveness function better, stronger, and faster, even in times of uncertainly and stress?
· Here are positive examples from Scripture: 1 Sam. 26:19; Matthew 27:19; Acts 5:33-39; 13:43; 14:19; 18:4; 19:35-41; 2 Cor. 1:8-12; 2 Tim. 4:17.
· Here are negative examples from Scripture: Deut. 13:6; Matthew 27:20, 43; Luke 11:22; Acts 5:40; 12: 18-23; 18:12-13; 19: 23-31.
Further Questions
1. How would you define Persuasiveness? Are you a person who is confident in the Lord? If so, what about in situations that may be scary such as in witnessing?
2. What part does Persuasiveness play in your relationships with church members, friends, coworkers and family? If someone disagrees with you, how do you respond? How is your response compared to God's call?
3. How does being fearful counteract Persuasiveness? What is the cost to others (God, family, friends, neighbors, church family, co-workers, etc.) when you are more concerned about proving your point than about modeling Jesus?
4. What happens to your relationship with God, with others, and with the opportunities God gives you when you do not consider it important to influence others to have faith in Christ?
5. When have you been filled with Persuasiveness the most?
6. In what situation did you fail to give a good argument or example when you should have?
7. What issue is in your life that would improve with more Persuasiveness?
8. Think through the steps you need to take to put Persuasiveness into action in a specific instance. Such as, what can you do to reduce your fear so you can be better at persuading someone about the Truth of Christ? Where is Persuasiveness not functioning properly in your personal life or church? What about your willingness to encourage other Christians or to correct someone, in love, when they stray into sin?
