Illustration Appreciation - Part 2

There is an Arab proverb that says, “The best speaker is he who turns ears into eyes.” Helping the listener picture the point we are making is a key to effective communication. The word “illustrate” means to illuminate, put luster upon or make clear. Someone else said it this way: “Illustrations are like the windows in a house—they let the light in”

Illustrations do not just illuminate truths taught; they also give those truths sticking power. According to pastor and illustration collector, Leslie Flynn, “The difference between acceptable and exceptional communication is often a good illustration which clinches an important truth in the listener’s mind for years.” Flynn goes on to say, “Illustrations can enlighten, prove, paint, arouse, appeal to the mind, stir the emotions and persuade the will.”

Of course, the wrong illustration, too many illustrations or an illustration presented in a wrong way can detract from your communication. So, what is it that makes a good illustration? Following are some guidelines from Leslie Flynn:

• Good illustrations are fresh and timeless – While illustrations drawn from classic works have their place, some can become dated and stale in the re-telling. Be especially careful of illustrations that are popular with a lot of teachers or preachers. If, from the first sentence your audience recognizes the same old story or quote they’ve heard many times before, your point will be lost.



• Good illustrations are relevant to the subject – Even though an illustration is compelling, it may not be relevant to what you are teaching. Consider what point the illustration makes and whether or not it will help shed light on some aspect of your subject. If not, file the illustration to be used another time with a more appropriate subject.



• Good illustrations are relevant to the audience – Take a look at those you are teaching: Are they mostly men or women? What is the average age? What is their general understanding of your subject? Answers to these questions should guide your selection of illustrations. When your students can personally identify with the illustration, they will be more likely to be moved and challenged by it.



• Good illustrations are accurate - If you are using statistics as an illustration, be sure they are as current and correct as possible. If you are sharing a testimony, be certain that the names, dates and facts are accurate. Also, try to verify that the story is true! If anything is doubtful in an illustration, don’t use it.



• Good illustrations are brief – Remember, the illustrations are the windows – they are not the walls! Illustrations that are too long are hard for your audience to follow and they may lose the point you are trying to make. If you want to share a story that is long, edit out the extra details and tell just the essence of the story that helps to make your point.



• Good illustrations do not reveal confidences – Sharing a conversation or someone else’s personal experience without permission is morally and ethically wrong. Even a positive testimony should never be used as an illustration without the permission of the person involved.



• Good illustrations do not seek to exalt self – If your illustrations are consistently about you—how you accomplished something; how you “saved the day”; how you did right when everyone else did wrong—you will soon damage your credibility. Your illustrations should shed light on your subject, not draw attention to yourself. Certainly, from time to time, you can share how God used you in a particular situation, but do not over use such illustrations. Occasionally, it is good to share with your audience a time when you did not succeed, so they will know you are human just like them!

• Good illustrations have variety – Remember, illustrations can be any number of things such as stories, testimonies, poems, quotes, statistics, etc. Try to vary the type of illustrations you use from class to class. Don’t become predictable to your students (“We’re reaching the end of the class session—must be time for the poem!”).
  
  Hopefully, these guidelines will help you in determining the best illustrations to use in your classes. In our next post, we will consider some things to avoid in choosing and using illustrations. These are dangers that can be deadly to your teaching! So, come back to the Café next week for part three of our series!