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Scott McLean teaches communications at Arizona Western College. He says an effective communicator is one who is prepared and ethical. To be prepared is to have one’s thoughts organized, clear, concise, and stay within the time allotted. To be ethical is to speak so people understand you; to speak truthfully and with integrity. He says a good speaker treats an audience the way you would like a speaker to treat you if you were listening. A key attribute of an effective speaker is trustworthiness. The Book of Proverbs says that trustworthy messengers are extremely valuable. They are like snow in summer. They refresh listeners. A trustworthy messenger delivers a message faithfully — adding nothing; deleting nothing. That is true with any message; it is vital when we deliver a message from God on which life and death hinges. It is why Peter wrote in his epistle, “We were not making up clever stories when we told you about the powerful coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. We saw his majestic splendor with our own eyes when he received honor and glory from God the Father. The voice from the majestic glory of God said to him, ‘This is my dearly beloved Son, who brings me great joy.’ Peter says we ourselves heard that voice from heaven when we were with him on the holy mountain.” A faithful messenger like the Apostle Peter deserves our closest attention.
