{"id":7886,"date":"2020-02-23T20:00:29","date_gmt":"2020-02-24T03:00:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/?p=7886"},"modified":"2020-02-23T01:01:51","modified_gmt":"2020-02-23T08:01:51","slug":"job33_1-18","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/job33_1-18\/","title":{"rendered":"6 Ways to Build Rapport When Talking with Others"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"flex_column av_one_full  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding first  avia-builder-el-0  avia-builder-el-no-sibling  \" style='border-radius:0px; '><section class=\"av_textblock_section \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia_textblock  '   itemprop=\"text\" ><p>Job 33:1-18 \u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=Job+33%3A1-18&amp;version=NIV\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Click here for Bible Verses<\/a><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-7887 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/200224.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/200224.jpg 600w, https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/200224-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/200224-450x300.jpg 450w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Hi GAMErs,<\/p>\n<p>Today\u2019s passage is Job 33:1-18.\u00a0\u00a0Let\u2019s go!<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Job 33:1-7 (NIV)\u00a0<\/strong><br \/>\n<sup>1\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0&#8220;But now, Job, listen to my words; pay attention to everything I say.<br \/>\n<sup>2\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0I am about to open my mouth; my words are on the tip of my tongue.<br \/>\n<sup>3\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0My words come from an upright heart; my lips sincerely speak what I know.<br \/>\n<sup>4\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life.<br \/>\n<sup>5\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Answer me then, if you can; prepare yourself and confront me.<br \/>\n<sup>6\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0I am just like you before God; I too have been taken from clay.<br \/>\n<sup>7\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0No fear of me should alarm you, nor should my hand be heavy upon you.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>On verses 1-7:\u00a0\u00a0At first when I read these 7 verses, the initial impression I get is that Elihu is a bit long-winded and in love with himself.\u00a0\u00a0Then I thought, \u201cWell, maybe it\u2019s because Elihu is nervous, so he ends up speaking quite verbosely at the beginning.\u201d\u00a0But the more I study Elihu\u2019s words, the more I think I can appreciate Elihu\u2019s purpose in speaking this way:\u00a0\u00a0Elihu is trying to make it clear to Job where he is coming from.\u00a0\u00a0He is trying to build rapport with Job.\u00a0\u00a0How?<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>First, Elihu addresses Job by name (v1), something that Job\u2019s older friends never did.<\/li>\n<li>Second, Elihu says in verse 3 that his words \u201ccome from an upright heart\u201d, suggesting that Elihu has searched his own heart before speaking.<\/li>\n<li>Third, Elihu says in verse 3 that \u201cmy lips sincerely speak what I know\u201d.\u00a0\u00a0This communicates both genuineness (\u201cJob, I\u2019m speaking from the heart\u201d) and humility (\u201cthis is what I know for whatever it\u2019s worth\u201d).<\/li>\n<li>Fourth, Elihu invites Job to test what Elihu is saying and welcomes Job to disagree with him (\u201cAnswer me then, if you can; prepare yourself and confront me\u201d (v5). He invites Job to have an intelligent discussion with him, not an angry argument.<\/li>\n<li>Fifth, Elihu admits that he is human too, \u201ctaken from clay\u201d (v6).\u00a0\u00a0Clay is a symbol for frailness and weakness.\u00a0\u00a0So Elihu is effectively acknowledging that he has weaknesses and flaws too.<\/li>\n<li>Sixth, when Elihu says in verse 7, \u201cNo fear of me should alarm you, nor should my hand be heavy upon you\u201d, Elihu is saying, \u201cJob, I\u2019m on your side.\u00a0\u00a0Don\u2019t think that I\u2019m here to attack and condemn you.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>What can we learn from this?\u00a0\u00a0<strong>When you have something to say that you know will be challenging for your listener to hear, make it your goal to build rapport with your listener first.<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0Consider doing the 6 things Elihu did for Job.\u00a0\u00a0Use the person\u2019s name and speak tenderly to them (v1).\u00a0\u00a0Search your heart before you open your mouth (v3).\u00a0\u00a0Speak from the heart and be humble (v3).\u00a0\u00a0Invite them to disagree (v5).\u00a0\u00a0Admit your own weakness and recognize that there is a chance you could be wrong (v6).\u00a0\u00a0Let them know that you are on their side (v7).\u00a0\u00a0People are more open to listening to someone they consider to be humble and self-aware over someone who is arrogant and insensitive.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Job 33:8-12 (NIV)<\/strong><br \/>\n<sup>8\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0&#8220;But you have said in my hearing&#8211; I heard the very words&#8211;<br \/>\n<sup>9\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0&#8216;I am pure and without sin; I am clean and free from guilt.<br \/>\n<sup>10\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Yet God has found fault with me; he considers me his enemy.<br \/>\n<sup>11\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0He fastens my feet in shackles; he keeps close watch on all my paths.&#8217;<br \/>\n<sup>12\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0&#8220;But I tell you, in this you are not right, for God is greater than man.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>On verses 8-12:\u00a0\u00a0Elihu paraphrases Job\u2019s previous claim that he is pure and without sin (v9; for example, see Job\u00a023:11) and that nonetheless God has found fault with Job and considers him an enemy (v10-11; for example, see Job\u00a013:24).\u00a0\u00a0Elihu takes issue with these claims by Job.\u00a0\u00a0When he says, \u201cin this you are not right, for God is greater than man\u201d (v12), Elihu is probably saying, \u201cJob, you\u2019re wrong when you say that God considers you His enemy, for God\u2019s ways are far greater than you can imagine.\u201d Whereas Job looked at his circumstances and assumed that God was against him, Elihu encouraged Job to consider that God has a greater purpose in allowing Job to suffer that has nothing to do with God considering Job to be a sinner and His enemy.<\/p>\n<p>What can we learn from this?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<strong>When we are tempted to accuse God of wrongdoing, thank God for friends who help us to see that God may be up to something greater than we think.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Job 33:13-18 (NIV)\u00a0<\/strong><br \/>\n<sup>13\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Why do you complain to him that he answers none of man&#8217;s words?<br \/>\n<sup>14\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0For God does speak&#8211;now one way, now another&#8211; though man may not perceive it.<br \/>\n<sup>15\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls on men as they slumber in their beds,<br \/>\n<sup>16\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0he may speak in their ears and terrify them with warnings,<br \/>\n<sup>17\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0to turn man from wrongdoing and keep him from pride,<br \/>\n<sup>18\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0to preserve his soul from the pit, his life from perishing by the sword.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>On verses 13-18:\u00a0\u00a0To paraphrase Elihu, \u201cJob, don\u2019t complain that God is not answering you (v13). for God speaks in various ways (\u201cnow one way, now another\u201d (v14)), whether in a dream (v15), a vision or otherwise.\u00a0\u00a0Keep in mind the reason God speaks: it is to warn us (v16), to protect us from doing wrong (v17), to keep us from pride (v17) and to save us (v18).<\/p>\n<p>What can we learn from this?\u00a0\u00a0The question is not \u201cIs God speaking?\u201d\u00a0\u00a0The question is \u201cAre we listening?\u201d Remember that\u00a0<strong>God speaks in various ways and always with our protection and well-being in mind.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>Heavenly Father, thank You for friends who stand by my side and help me to see You when my own vision is clouded by pain, anger or bitterness.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0In Jesus\u2019 name, AMEN!<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Hi GAMErs,<\/p>\n<p>Today\u2019s passage is Job 33:1-18.\u00a0\u00a0Let\u2019s go!<\/p>\n<p>Job 33:1-7 (NIV)\u00a0<br \/>\n1\u00a0\u00a0&#8220;But now, Job, listen to my words; pay attention to everything I say.<br \/>\n2\u00a0\u00a0I am about to open my mouth; my words are on the tip of my tongue.<br \/>\n3\u00a0\u00a0My words come from an upright heart; my lips sincerely speak what I know.<br \/>\n4\u00a0\u00a0The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life.<br \/>\n5\u00a0\u00a0Answer me then, if you can; prepare yourself and confront me.<br \/>\n6\u00a0\u00a0I am just like you before God; I too have been taken from clay.<br \/>\n7\u00a0\u00a0No fear of me should alarm you, nor should my hand be heavy upon you.<\/p>\n<p>On verses 1-7:\u00a0\u00a0At first when I read these 7 verses, the initial impression I get is that Elihu is a bit long-winded and in love with himself.\u00a0\u00a0Then I thought, \u201cWell, maybe it\u2019s because Elihu is nervous, so he ends up speaking quite verbosely at the beginning.\u201d\u00a0But the more I study Elihu\u2019s words, the more I think I can appreciate Elihu\u2019s purpose in speaking this way:\u00a0\u00a0Elihu is trying to make it clear to Job where he is coming from.\u00a0\u00a0He is trying to build rapport with Job.\u00a0\u00a0How?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7887,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7886","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gametime-sharing"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7886","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7886"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7886\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7889,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7886\/revisions\/7889"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7887"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7886"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7886"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7886"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}