The Importance of Conviction in Our Ministry
How Conviction Is Manifested. The words that you use can do much to convey your conviction. On numerous occasions Jesus prefaced important statements by saying: “Most truly I say to you.” (John 3:3, 5, 11; 5:19, 24, 25) Paul’s conviction was reflected in such expressions as “I am convinced,” “I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus,” and “I am telling the truth, I am not lying.” (Rom. 8:38; 14:14; 1 Tim. 2:7) Regarding the fulfillment of his word, Jehovah at times inspired his prophets to make emphatic statements, such as, “It will without fail come true.” (Hab. 2:3) When you refer to these prophecies, you might use similar language. If you put confidence not in yourself but in Jehovah and if you speak to others in a respectful manner, expressions that reflect similar conviction will give evidence that you have strong faith.
Conviction may also be shown by the earnestness and the intensity of your expression. Your facial expressions, your gestures, and your body language all contribute to this, though these may vary somewhat from person to person. Even if you are shy or soft-spoken by nature, when you are fully persuaded that what you are saying is the truth and that others need to hear it, your conviction will be evident.
Of course, any expressions of conviction that we make must be genuine. If people sense that we are pretending rather than speaking from the heart, they will likely conclude that our message lacks substance. Therefore, above all, be yourself. Depending on the size of your audience, you may need to speak with greater volume than usual and with more intensity. But your aim should be to express yourself sincerely and naturally.
Aids to Expressing Conviction. Since your conviction involves your feelings about your material, good preparation is the key. Simply copying material from a publication and then reciting it are not sufficient. You need to understand the material clearly and to be able to express it in your own words. You must be fully convinced that it is true and that what you are saying is of value to your audience. This means that when preparing your presentation, you take into account their circumstances as well as what they may already know about the subject or how they may feel about it.
It is easier for others to sense our conviction when our delivery is fluent. Therefore, in addition to preparing good material, work hard on your delivery. Give special attention to the portions of your material that call for greater earnestness so that you can deliver them without being tied to your notes. Remember, too, to pray for Jehovah’s blessing on your efforts. In this way you will ‘muster up boldness by means of our God’ to speak in a manner that reflects your conviction as to the truthfulness and importance of your message.—1 Thess. 2:2.