Dennis Edwards
God’s word tells us that in the last days there shall be
those among the people who have
understanding and they shall instruct many.
How can we, Christians who have lived a life of service for God and others,
often on difficult mission fields with much personal sacrifice; how can we who
have studied and followed God’s word faithfully since our youth; how can we
prepare ourselves to fulfill Daniel’s prophecy?
How can we prepare ourselves to instruct many?
Some years ago the famous American billionaire Warren Buffet
was asked what advice he would give to a young college student, or a young
person in order to enhance their
prospect of success and leadership in the open market. How could a young person
improve their CVC? What talent should they develop to increase their
opportunities in the job market and their success and influence as a leader?
Buffet responded that the number one attribute that
increases one’s leadership potential and financial rewards is public speaking. He continued that if a
young person seriously wanted to improve his or her potential to realize a
greater position of leadership and a higher pay bracket then he or she would
need to improve his or her’s ability in public speaking. Public speaking was
the number one asset to increased job and leadership possibilities.
The famous financial wizard, public speaker, and writer
George Barnard Shaw (1856 – 1950) in his autobiographic essay “How I became a
public speaker,” wrote on his own personal difficulty with public speaking. In
order to overcome his timidity, Shaw forced himself into situations where he
had to speak publically. He joined various debating clubs and pushed himself to
face his fear of speaking in publc. At first, he made a fool of himself, as we
all will do. But over time, his nerves cooled, his mind calmed, and he became
one of the most sought after public speaker of his day.
Yale University offers its students a course on public
speaking as do many other universities. Yale’s professor on Public Speaking
emphasizes in his beginning lecture that
the two most important ways to increase our platform and therefore our
influence on others is through improving our ability to speak publicly and or
improving our writing ability. Many people that today are public speakers
started out by writing a book. When the book became successful, it helped to
launch them into a speaking career.
Does God’s word have anything to say about public speaking?
We know that our ability to speak publicly or even on YouTube or on the
telephone can increase our platform and influence. Could our ability to reach
more people with the Gospel message with today’s modern technology be a
fulfillment of Jesus’ prediction that His followers would do “greater things”
than He did?
In the New Testament we see Apostle Peter cowarding and
denying Christ thrice. However, after waiting and receiving the infilling of
the Holy Spirit, Peter’s speaking ability, his boldness, his conviction become powerful. The Jews that persecuted him took
knowledge that he, a simple fisherman, had been with Jesus. Many of those Jews received
Peter’s message. Though he had no theological training and was unlearned and ignorant
in the eyes of the Jewish Sanhedrin, yet
suddenly his public speaking ability matched that of the learned Scribes and
Pharisees. Peter’s time spent with Jesus and the infilling of the Holy Spirit
were the keys to his public speaking.
Other men of God have been afflicted with fear of public
speaking. Moses was one who had a stammer, a speech impediment. The Lord told
him not to fear, but to have faith and He would take care of his stammering. In
Exodus 4:10-13 we read,
And Moses said unto the Lord, O
my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto
thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue. And the Lord said
unto him, Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes the dumb, or deaf, or the
seeing, or the blind? Have not I the Lord? Now therefore go, and I will be with
thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say.
But Moses didn’t believe. His fear of public speaking
overtook him. God would have healed him had he believed. But Moses clung to his
fear, and God was angry with him. Nevertheless, in compassion, God sent Aaron,
Moses’ older brother, to speak for him
and be Moses’ voice to Pharoah.
The book of Acts records Apostle Paul’s successful public
speaking encounters with Roman, Jewish, and Greek authorities. Nevertheless, in
his 2nd letter to the Corinthians we see Paul refuting a belief held by some of
the Corinthians that though “his letters … were weighty and powerful; …his
bodily presence was weak, and his speech contemptible.”
The Greeks had the tendency as maybe we all do to admire a
man who spoke well especially if his physical appearance was becoming. Apostle
Paul responded that “such as we are in word…such will we be also in deed when
we are present.” In other
words, his speaking would be equal to his writing, and they were both powerful.
In the second part of Daniel chapter 11, which most Bible
prophecy experts consider to be decribing the period of the Great Tribulation
or “Jacob’s Trouble,” we find the words,
And they that understand among
the people shall instruct many.
God wants His people to be teachers instructing the world as
many are deceived by the god of this world who has blinded their minds. How can
we as God’s representatives “instruct many,” if we are not overcoming the
common fear that many face, the fear of public speaking? Jesus has told us we
will do greater things than He did. He told us that the baptism of the Holy
Spirit would cause to flow out of our hearts rivers of living waters or waters
that are flowing with life. Those waters are the words we speak, the words of
God we speak to others. As Jesus has said,
The words I speak unto you, they
are spirit and they are life.
The Lord has told us to open our mouth wide and that He
would fill it. He may
send us a fellow companion like he sent Moses Aaron, but we should be
overcoming our fears and becoming the powerful men and women of God He wants us
to be. Powerful by being dependent and obedient to His still small voice that
calls us to be a witness to all men.
In the Proverbs we read,
A man’s belly shall be satisfied
with the fruit of his mouth and; and with the increase of his lips shall he be
filled.
In other words, our happiness and fulfillment doesn’t come
from a good meal, but from sharing God’s word with others. We should be seeking
and finding more avenues to share God’s word with those in need. Otherwise, we
will be miserable, like Apostle Paul wrote.
For though I preach the gospel, I
have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me,
if I preach not the gospel.
Or like Jeremiah bemoaned,
But if I say, “I will not mention
his word or speak anymore in his name,” his word is in my heart like a fire, a
fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.
Let us, therefore, do
our best to overcome our fears and develop both our talent of speaking publicly
and writing. Let us learn to use the new
technology for God’s advantage and to the spreading of His precious
words to the lost and needy. Let us make blogs, YouTube channels, Facebook
posts, or any of the many other ways to speak up and be heard. Let us stand up for Jesus and let our light
so shine before men that they may see our good works and glorify our Father
which is in heaven.
“The way to develop self-confidence
is to do the thing you fear, and get a record of successful experiences behind
you.” ― William Jennings Bryan (1860-1925)
famous American orator and politician
“In my office, you will not see the degree that I got from the University of Nebraska. You will not see the master’s degree I got from Columbia University. But you will see the award certificate I got from the Dale Carnegie Course,” Buffett said.
I once read a book that featured training methods of elite military forces. In one chapter the author acknowledged his initial fear of high-altitude parachute jumping. How did he overcome his fear? By forcing himself to do it over and over and over until he “learned to love it.” If a person can overcome the fear of jumping from an airplane at 25,000 feet, it’s possible for anyone to learn to love public speaking. I’ve seen it happen countless times.
For one of my earlier books on communication skills I interviewed then real-estate mogul, Barbara Corcoran, before she became a star on ABC’s Shark Tank. “Communication is responsible for 90 percent of my success, without a doubt,” Corcoran said.
The secret to overcoming the fear of public speaking is a three-step process. First, don’t be hard on yourself. Keep in mind that the most successful people in the world go through it. Second, start small. Buffett took a class with a few other students. Corcoran didn’t start by speaking to millions on television; she taught a small class. Third, take every opportunity to present and do it over and over and over.
“Right now I would pay $100,000 for ten percent of the future earnings of any of you, so if you’re interested, see me after class.”
As a young stock advisor he took a Dale Carnegie public-speaking course to overcome his fear. In a little known fact, Buffett dropped out of the course on his first try because he was afraid he’d be asked to speak up. He worked up his courage a second time and today proudly displays his Dale Carnegie certificate in his office.
