Article August 27, 2007 Issue

SPEAKING WITH SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY

BY CHARLES W. LINDAHL

I loved everything about my work in university administration, with one big exception: public speaking. Appearing before any group was unsettling to me, but speaking to large assemblies of highly educated university professors and administrators was daunting. At times I also had to present and defend proposals to a statewide board of trustees and the legislature.

I became very good at suggesting others I thought were more qualified to speak than I. But as my career progressed, public presentations were an important part of my responsibilities, and I could no longer avoid the task.

Ultimately, I had to learn to truly shift the responsibility, not to others, but to God—and to learn from Him rather than public speaking courses, books, or reliance on excessive preparation. I focused on seeking God's guidance, along with an ardent study of the Bible and Science and Health.