postr/StutterMay 12, 2022

A biblical view of stuttering

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Content

A biblical view of stuttering Hey all, so I started reading the bible lately and regardless of whether one agrees with it or not it makes some interesting (imo good) points about stuttering/speech impediments. One of the major figures, Moses, has some sort of speech impediment which he uses to try to avoid speaking with Pharoah: 10 Moses said to the Lord, “Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.” 11 The Lord said to him, “Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the Lord? (Ex. 4:11) In other words you were made how you were made; you are not a mistake. Speech impediments are a valid part of the human condition and an ancient one. Another passage in Proverbs that I found insightful: "To humans belong the plans of the heart, but from the LORD comes the proper answer of the tongue." (Prov 16:1) In other words the condition is what it is. Instead of trying to "solve" or "fix" it try not to make it harder than it already is or has to be. How you speak is fundamentally okay. I spent so much time using tricks and strategies in my speech and these often backfired. Now that I accept my speech I still stutter but I've removed many of the long blocks and severe tension. Another useful metaphor is the tower of babel where the whole world comes together to build a tower to reach God and become his equal. Instead of trying to conquer your condition/nature and seeking perfection understand that this is your challenge to face/cross to bear and try to make the best of it. Accept your limitations and stop feeling inferior for lacking fluency. Anyway, those passages helped me and I wanted to share them. There are other useful tips in the text such as not speaking too quickly and listening more than speaking.

Themes

Identity & DisabilityCoping & AdvocacyAnticipation & AvoidanceCauses & Variability

Subthemes

Acceptance & PrideMindset shiftAvoidance & SubstitutionEnergy & Biological Rhythms