Firth played The Duke of York, Prince Albert, the 2nd son of King Henry V, who had an incredible stuttering problem, making it impossible to speak. Queen Elizabeth I, played by Helena Bonham Carter, out of love for her husband, sent out to seek help for Prince Albert's speech impediment. She found such help from a man whose name plate in a building directory simply said "Lionel Logue - Speech Defects". Not knowing who she was, Lionel (Geoffery Rush) pretty much laid down the rules immediately if he was to be used in a therapeutic way: everything happens in his office and he makes no house calls. Queen Elizabeth decides to "pull rank" on Lionel and mentions it was for The Duke of York. He considers this for a moment, respectfully addresses her as "Your Majesty"...and repeats the same rules that would apply if therapy is to be garnered. He knew who he was, where he was, and what made what he does happen without any hesitancy or intimidation. He had authority and stood on it with boldness, clarity and confidence.
Prince Albert comes in and begins to address Lionel as "Dr. Logue", something that he dismisses. Lionel makes the declaration that they will address each other on a first-name basis. He was Lionel, his patient would be referred to as "Bertie". Prince Albert insisted on "Your Majesty" but Lionel laid down the rules of HIS house again without wavering: we are equals up in my camp if this is going to work and everything happens here. The first speaking exercise, after going over the mechanics of speech and speaking, was to record "Bertie" reading Hamlet's famous "To Be or Not To Be" while classical music played in his ears. Bertie reads just a few lines before ripping the headphones off his head, calling the exercise rediculous and storms out of Lionel's office, but not before accepting Lionel's grammaphone recording of his reading. He listens to himself read without a stammer, stutter, or jerky hesitation. Lionel had bet Bertie a shilling that he could get him to read flawlessly...and he did. Why? He was made to take his mind off of himself, his poor view of himself and his fears and read flawlessly.
As the movie goes on, Lionel make the discovery that Bertie didn't have a speech impediment so much as he had an "esteem impediment" and continually tried to put Bertie in situations that would boost or even challenge his esteem. Every time that was done, he spoke with confidence, accuracy and strength. But then there came a time when Prince Albert checked up on Lionel Logue and his practice to discover that Lionel was not a licensed doctor or any type of doctor, speech therapist or otherwise. Once again, Lionel did not waver from who he was, even in the face of being identified as a failed actor who happened to have a gift for speech elocution and diction. He goes on to tell Prince Albert that Austrailian soldiers who were shell-shocked and could barely speak as a result of fighting in World War II sought his help, and he cured many a man who developed a speech impediment. His experience and results that came from his faith in his abilities qualified him to do what he does and he stands grounded on that fact. He didn't suppose he was good at speech therapy, he KNEW that he was good, and Prince Albert (who later became King George VI due to his older brother refusing to not marry a divorced American woman, something that would dethrone him anyway) was not going to move him from that confidence. He knew who he was and he knew what he knew.
I laid out that "spoiler" to bring out this point: when it comes to us walking our spiritual walk in Christ Jesus, we have an enemy who wants us to forget who we are like we talked about in the posting “It’s Not Always About the Length of The Fight, but The Endurance of The Fighter” . Bertie/Prince Albert/King George VI was gripped by a paralyzing fear and extreme low self-esteem which caused his terrible stuttering. His strict father, the efforts to stop him from writing left-handed (which was considered sinister or evil in Europe) and painful therapy for knocked knees were the reason for the fear and low self-image. Satan wants to always highlight and heighten our "deficiencies" and/or short-comings in our past, making our ability to speak the Word of God in our lives turn to "stuttering" due to a lack of confidence. That is why it is IMPERATIVE to put your nose in that Holy Writ, and God promises that doing so will bring that confidence that we sometimes lack, what it says in
Proverbs 14:26-27. In so doing, you give no room for the devil to attack us with guilt from not studying (Ephesians 4:27) and when you meditate on the things you read every day and night, that Word gets planted in your heart. And when Satan tries to challenge that Word, you can stand on the confidence that you are who you are and you know what you know. You stand on the authority of God's Word (Hebrews 10:35).
When Lionel Logue witnessed King George VI deliver his first WWII speech to the nation of England, it was then that they were no longer equals, Bertie was now the king, and Lionel genuflected before him as his humble subject and servent, only because Lionel watched his king overcome his fear and lack of confidence as he spoke to his people. Since Satan and his minoins must do that before our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, as it says in Romans 14:11, you need to realize that they will do the same to you when you have that strong, close relationship with Him. Walking with Him in Hs Word, talking with Him through prayer, subjecting yourself to Him in surrendering you life and everything in it, and fasting, gives you the right to walk on the devil's head and make him subject unto you (Ephesians 1:15-23, Matthew 14:18-21, Luke 10:19) You walk in the path of those with a bright future, a surety and confidence in yourself because of Christ and your relationship with Him. So, when the devil tries to tell you how things arf and need to be done, especially when he steps into your house (in this case, your mind), do what Lionel Logue did in "The King's Speech": stand on your authority in Christ, state the rules of the house boldly and refuse to waver or be moved. Know who you are and know what you know!
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