Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger and not your own lips. ~Proverbs 27:2
I do not preach often. But when I do, it is stressful simply because it is not part of the rhythm of my week or even month. Writing is my pulpit which means I tend to transform what I have written into a spoken sermon. Sometimes it is as simple as restructuring and other times it becomes a new construction project. Regardless, after the writing there is still the delivery, which I am not as confident with as I am of the words I have written.
So when it all comes together and I feel good about it, I confess I want to know if others feel the same. But more than that I want the praise of others. So even though I do not praise myself overtly, I can embark on a covert operation, hoping to hear the praises of others.
I wonder if the wisdom behind this proverb has to do with letting my heart hear what my ears do not. Can my heart hear praise my ears do not? For instance, recently, I went to lunch with a friend after I had preached. I was a little surprised when we sat down and she asked, “So how did you feel about it?” I replied, “Good.” And that was the end of the discussion.
Driving home I thought about our limited conversation and realized it was a gift. It helped me let go of the morning and return to reality so to speak. It reinforced that, to my friend, who I am is more important than what I do. This had been one of my intentions in the first place. While writing, I decided to bring who I am into the pulpit with me and not who I think others want me to be.
Perhaps that is why I felt good about the sermon. There was a joy and freedom in my preaching I had never fully experienced. Several days later, I received a call from a member of the congregation. She called to thank me for preaching. She did not mention the content; she was grateful I had been invited to preach.
When I waited for my heart to hear what my ears could not, I heard the praise my soul really needed most. May our hearts hear today what our ears cannot. May we know we are valued for who we are, not what we do!
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