“Talk to people about themselves and they will listen for hours.” – Benjamin Disraeli

It is fascinating to me how conventional wisdom always seems to support what the Bible has contained for centuries. For instance, the quote above by Benjamin Disraeli was taken from the classic How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie, a book that could have been derived entirely from one verse in the New Testament: “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves” (Philippians 2:3). Or from the words of Jesus: “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 7:12).

It is no coincidence that what Jesus taught works in the world. Peter Drucker knew this; Max Weber knew this; Blaise Pascal knew this; and Laurie Beth Jones, author of Jesus CEO, knew this. All of these were skilled at finding the religious influences embedded in culture.

So is that to say you don’t need conventional wisdom; just stick with the Bible? No, because these authors and thinkers enlarge on the truth. They show us how God’s truth works in the world, and by beginning outside a biblical framework and ending up in one, they confirm the practical wisdom of the word. These connections are everywhere.

So we’re back to thinking about how a good way to engage someone in conversation is to talk about them. That’s connected to: “Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Philippians 2:4).

Works both ways.