Motivational Speaker

Yet another blog on watching my mouth.
I was well into my adult life when I finally learned the lesson of zipping it. I now know, but still forget, the lesson.
I only learned it the way we usually learn lessons; the hard way. After I had said something unwise I would beat myself up over it for days. It would replay in my head until I couldn’t stand to be with myself anymore. Apologizing or trying to make right didn’t take away the disappointment I felt with myself.
I needed the schooling of those regrets to mature in the way I handled myself. Today in the position I now hold, I am grateful that the Lord went ahead of me to teach me to speak wisely. Can you imagine being in a position of authority and talking like a fool? People don’t quickly forget in the workplace when you’ve messed up. But this isn’t my true inspiration.
I now realize that I hold a lot of power, and not because of my title. I can slow down and speak calm into a frenzied situation. I can reassure people that they can handle what’s happening around them. I can soothe angry emotions.
I’ve become very aware of the words that come out of my mouth and those I hear from other people and I’ve learned something. It’s not about the words literally, it’s about the motivation. I had to examine my motivation and when I let God change my heart; the words changed too.
I want to speak life, encouragement and hope into the world. I want to be a vessel of God with all of my life. I don’t want to war against God’s purpose for even the ten seconds it takes to say something stupid.
Today I saw something that made me angry and sad. Someone in my life was speaking to another person and invested a good amount of time and effort into destructive words. Telling them they had reason to worry about a situation. Informing them that people were talking about them behind their back. There was nothing worthy in any of the words. It was all spite. It was motivated by something other than the Holy Spirit.
The problem with us is that we don’t often stop to examine our own motivations. We function on auto pilot. We don’t know our own hearts well enough.
And it shows.
I’m going to continue to check myself and my motivations for actions and words. I’m going to own up to it when I’m trying to present a facade or to pursue my own agendas.
There’s nothing to inspire change like regret.
I want to be a motivational speaker; and my audience is One.

Proverbs 12:18
Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.