I’m learning to listen until I have something to say.

“Use your words,” is what we tell our children, but we should be telling ourselves.

One of the downsides of being a lead pastor is the unique pressure you feel to say something true and interesting EVERY. SINGLE. SUNDAY. Well, not every Sunday, but A LOT of Sundays. And, let’s face it, the task is daunting and causes some men and women to buckle under the pressure. We’re tempted to go through motions, fake it, burnout, copy other sermons and not internalize the truths, etc.

When I look back on the almost seven years I was teaching weekly, I cannot say that I was inspired with conviction every single week. But, I am proud that, most Sundays, I did have something to say. Something inspired. Something relevant—because I needed it, myself. And, for the most part, I believe that I put my words to good use.

I’m learning to live in such a way that I listen more, talk less, and only when I have something to say — otherwise, uninspired words just become part of the noise.

Let’s actively listen, look, learn, and then use our words when we have something to say.