Psalm 46:10 “Be still and know that I am God….”
Do you recognize the uhs, likes and youknows in your life?
Filler words comprise one of the most common weaknesses I observe in my public speaking students’ presentations. Rather than pausing if they need to gather their thoughts, they fill their speeches with uhs, likes, or youknows. At best, these fillers distract from the message; at worst they make the students sound uninformed. Speakers have to learn that simple pauses enhance their speeches far more than a steady stream of words, many of which have no meaning.
Recently I’ve been thinking about filler words in a different light. I’ve noticed some uhs, likes and youknows invading my thought life. I’ll be in the middle of prayer, or even worship, and out of nowhere distracting ideas enter my mind and sabotage my communication with God. It takes work to dismiss those intruders and regain my focus.
One of the most prevalent uhs in my thought life arrives in the intrusive form of worry. Worry interferes with my flow of faith. I encounter a problem and don’t take time to pause before the Lord. Instead, I fill my mind with apprehensions and fears of all the things that could go wrong. Uh, bad idea.
In Psalm 46, the psalmist tells us how to keep the uhs of worry at bay. He describes some pretty threatening situations. The earth giving way, the mountains moving, the waters roaring and mountains trembling. In the midst of such horrible circumstances, he says to pause and be still before God. Only when we silence the uhs, do we discover God as our refuge and strength (v.1-3).
I once had a student who started the semester with thirty-five uhs in a one 3-minute speech. By the end of the semester, she had none. But it took recognition and practice to get there. And so it is with our thought life. I don’t know what your uhs, likes and youknows might be, but I pray you practice getting rid of anything interfering with your communion with God. Exchange those filler words with the fullness of God’s presence.
Be still, my friend, and know God.