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First, let me say that you are not alone in this. Many people have similar fears. However, if God has led you to be involved in an activity that requires you to speak publicly, then you need to be willing to conquer that fear. I don't know if you are referring to standing up in front of a group or simply talking evangelizing in the general public, but either way you need to overcome this fear so that you can serve God to the fullest extent that He desires.

I do not think that you need any sort of medication, for fear is almost always a spiritual issue. I do not think that it would be wrong for you to get counsel from your local pastor, for personal help can be more beneficial than e-mail help. However, I do believe that prayer and a commitment to putting the Bible into practice can solve the problem. The Scriptures contain everything we need to live Godly lives (II Peter 1:3-4), so They should be sufficient.

You need to determine what you are afraid of. Proverbs 29:25 says,

"The fear of man bringeth a snare".

Are you afraid to speak in public for fear of what men will think? If so, the fear of men has snared you and is keeping you from serving the Lord as you should. Are you afraid of your circumstances? When the storm arose on the Sea of Galilee Jesus rebuked the disciples by saying,

"Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?"

Are you afraid of what the unsaved think? That was Peter's problem in Matthew 26 and it led to his denial of the Lord. My first piece of advice would be that you need not be afraid of any of these things. Note that the Lord never put His stamp of approval on being afraid for any of these reasons. In Matthew 10:28 Jesus tells His followers,

"And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell."

I don't think that any one you fear is going to kill you, so no matter what you fear it can't be as bad as that!

Once you determine what you are afraid of, you need to take the necessary steps to overcoming that. Let me give you some Biblical suggestions (not in any particular order).

• 1. You need to love God more than anything or anyone else, including yourself. I John 4:18 says,

  "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love"

  Going along with that, you need to love those that you are called to minister to more than you love yourself. Your love for them will overcome the fear that your natural love for yourself produces.

• 2. You need to fear the Lord more than you fear anything or anyone else. Proverbs 14:26 states,

  "In the fear of the LORD is strong confidence".

  Psalm 112:1, 7, 8 says,

  "Praise ye the LORD. Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD, that delighteth greatly in his commandments. He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the LORD. His heart is established, he shall not be afraid, until he see his desire upon his enemies."

  When you want to obey Him, and you realize that you must obey Him or suffer the consequences, this becomes a great motivator to overcome fear.

• 3. You need to spend time in the Word of God. Joshua was told,

  "This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest." (Joshua 1:8-9).

  Read It, memorize It, meditate on It, and then have the boldness to do what It says. Proverbs 1:33 states,

  "But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil."

  Disobedience will always bring fear, because we are quenching and grieving the Holy Spirit Who desires to give us peace (Galatians 5:22).

• 4. You need to ask the Lord for strength to do what He has called you to do. Psalm 34:4 reads,

  "I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears."

  Always pray about your needs. God will direct you as to how to accomplish His will. In II Chron. 20:3 we read,

  "And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD"

  If it was right for him to do, it is right for us to do.

• 5. Realize Who God is and what He wants to do for you. He is your Helper (Heb 13:6 - "So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me."). He is your Savior (Psalm 27:1 - "The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?"). He is your Strength (Psalm 27:1 - "The LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?"). He is your Refuge when things get tough (Psalm 46:1-2 - "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear"). If He is all these things to you, then you don't need to be afraid to speak for Him.

• 6. When fear does come, choose to trust the Lord to bring you through it. Psalm 56:3-4 reads,

  "What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee."

• 7. Realize that your fears do not come from God. II Tim 1:7 states,

  "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."

  God wants us to love Him and others, to have His power, and to think correctly. The World, the Devil, and our sinful Flesh don't want us to do those things, and they cause us to fear in order to keep from doing those things.

I hope these give you some things to think about. Even if your fear is not church related, but rather work related, the same principles apply. God gave you your job, and intends for you to do your best at it and glorify Him in it. Thus, if public speaking is required, He wants you to do a good job for Him.

The Lord will help you to do what you need to do. You may not speak the first time like a seasoned veteran, but He will help you to finish the job, and the more you do it the easier it will become.

By Pastor Dr. Mark Montgomery Email: Ask the Pastor Ambassador Baptist Church 1926 Babcock Blvd Pittsburgh, PA 15209 (412)477-3210