Overcoming A Speech Impediment
"Now Go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say." — Exodus 4:12 (NIV)
When my sister was young she had a speech impediment. She
had trouble pronouncing certain letters. For example the
word special would come out as "sssspecial" and terrific
would come out as "theriffic." Oftentimes, she would find
herself frustrated at the embarrassment this caused when she
was called to read in front of her classmates. However, she
found relief as she worked diligently with a speech
therapist who helped her to improve her speech.
Moses was called by God to go before Pharaoh to free the
Israelites from the bondage of Egypt. But he told God that
he could not go because he was not a man of eloquent speech
— he stuttered when he spoke. (Exodus 4:10). This weakness
left him feeling insecure with the call God placed on his
life. However, God allowed his brother Aaron to go with him
and speak for him when needed. God would not let this
weakness thwart His plans for Moses.
Most of us take our speech for granted because we do it with
such proficiency. Yet, our ability to talk correctly is a
basic building block for communication with others. Although
speaking with clarity can help us deliver our message, God
is more interested in the words we speak, rather than the
eloquence in which we speak them.
The Bible gives us many guidelines regarding our speaking.
As we put these guidelines into practice, we can communicate
effectively with others. For instance we are told "He
who guards his lips guards his life, but he who speaks
rashly will come to ruin." Proverbs 13:3 (NIV). This
tells us balance is the key when it comes to talking. If we
blurt out everything that is on our minds we may end up in
disaster.
It is so easy to justify the use of harsh words when we have
had a stressful day and are tired, or when another person
irritates us. Then we speak from our emotions and before we
know it, our speech has impeded our relationships, rather
than improved them. Whatever our speech problem we need to
remember, God is willing to help us speak.
Annettee Budzban