Let me tell you five things about me.
1. My favorite smell is of waffle cones being made.
2. I enjoy creative communication.
3. I love Jesus.
4. I love my wife and daughters.
5. My life has been largely characterized by pain and suffering for the last seven and a half years.
Do any of those five things make you want to ask a followup question or two? I’m not trying to be egocentric here, but probably.
Why do you think that is? Well, more than likely, it’s because I’ve strategically picked five specific things about myself that are broadly accessible to someone, regardless of who they are or what they might believe. I’ve selected a combination of largely appealing light-hearted things, along with more personal deep facts about myself. More than likely, nearly anyone (even if they don’t share any of these things in common with me), will have some sort of interest in what I’ve shared.
This is intentional and important if I want to hook someone and engage in a conversation with them.
Undoubtedly, you’ve played a few get-to-know-you games with a group of people in the past, whether it’s been at school or in the context of a friend group or something. I’ve certainly done so on a number of occasions and when I’ve played, someone inevitably asks something like, “Tell me a bit about yourself,” or, “Tell me three things about you.”
Now, in the past I’ve never had the forethought to be intentional when it came to revealing details about my life, and consequently, I used to struggle to come up with a few factoids about me that were appealing enough to share with a group of strangers who were trying to get to know Shelby Abbott on a more personal level.
But then I had a conversation with one of my best friends, Karl Armentrout, and he told me about how he’s tried to keep four to five facts about himself handy at all times for the purposes of 1) informing people who are trying to get to know him, and 2) creating an easy transition to sharing the gospel.
Karl’s list was: I love Christmas, I love college football, I love Jesus, I love my family, and sarcasm is my love language. Needless to say, his list inspired me, so I wanted to work on my own, and the five points above is what I came up with.
As I mentioned, my list is purposeful…and not just in content, but in order as well. If I came right out of the gate with, “I love Jesus” to someone who is not a Christian, they might be put off by my “religiosity” and tune out after they heard the word Jesus. Therefore, I’ve sandwiched that point right in the middle of my list, followed by a largely relevant point of loving my immediate family, and then an intriguing one about my struggles with pain and suffering.
It’s the perfect spot to place the “Jesus point” because I can come back to it if I’m asked a question about my suffering, or any other question as Jesus is at the center of my life and my relationship with Him touches my entire existence.
Even if someone were to avoid asking about Jesus in my life altogether and I’m not really reading that they are interested in the spiritual aspect of my story, the other four points are easy ways to relate to the average person…so no harm done.
Many times, we as Christians think if we’re utilizing a certain strategy to communicate the gospel with someone, we absolutely have to go through the entirety of how they can come to know Christ. And while that’s great if it happens, many times people need multiple “touch-points” with the gospel over periods of time before they will consider saying “yes” to Him.
Engaging in a practical conversation about how (for example) I love the creative side of communication in both speaking and writing is not a bad thing. It shows that I am an average guy with interests, just like they might be, and when you build connections with people, you build credibility. Credibility leads to vulnerability, and vulnerability can lead easily into gospel conversations.
Playing the longer game instead of the quicker one might be slower, sure, but moving too fast into places where others aren’t willing to go can burn bridges with people. Read the situation you’re in—if someone seems ready to hear about your “I love Jesus” point, then by all means, share the love of Jesus with them! However, if they seem hesitant when you bring up Christ, be willing to engage in conversation about other things until that credibility I mentioned earlier gets built.
The idea is to be faithful in all things. If you sense the Lord is leading you to step up boldly and share the gospel, do it. If you’re sensing He wants you to take your time, then obey. All in all, remain tuned in to the Holy Spirit’s leading and have fun wherever the conversation might take you.
Regardless, you’ll get to talk about yourself, and nearly everyone loves to talk about themselves.
So…what’s your five-point list? Take some time right now to write it down so you’ll be ready when someone says, “Tell me a little about yourself.”
Please note: I reserve the right to delete comments that are offensive or off-topic.