Most people say that they are more afraid of speaking in public than they are of death. Which is understandable on one level and crazy on another. I guess when you are dead you can’t read posts on facebook of people comment on how bad you did. I like most people was at one point in my life very afraid to speak in front of other people, but if God has called you to be a pastor or teacher and lead others, it’s a fear you don’t have the luxury of retaining.
Here is the reality: Even though I have preached many messages and spoken at conferences, I still need to be nervous at the right time, because when and what makes you nervous tells a lot about you. I still get nervous after years of experience, but what makes me most nervous presently is very different from what used to make me nervous.
When I am nervous about my delivery or nervous in anticipation of my delivery, it is mostly an issue with me wanting to be liked or asked back again. It’s about me. That is not a good thing. When you are more concerned about how you are perceived than hearing from God and speaking what he has asked you to say, you are opening yourself to the possibility of deception. When we walk in deception, the first person we deceive is always ourselves.
What still makes me nervous and should make every communicator nervous is preparation. I am always worried that I will somehow misrepresent Christ, that I would preach a message that makes me the hero and Jesus my sidekick. People liking what I have to say means nothing if I am not walking in obedience to what I feel that Christ has asked of me.
Here are a few questions every communicator should ask themselves:
1. When am I nervous and why am I nervous. – When and why you get nervous will tell you a lot about who and what you put your trust in.
2. Am I more concerned about another invitation or walking in obedience to the Holy Spirit of God?
3. Do I judge my performance based on social media quotes and feedback, or do I judge my performance based on how well my message brought ALL of the glory to God?
4. In getting my message ready, does the Scripture play a larger role in my message than my thoughts about things?
5. Could I preach this message in a synagogue or in a mosque?
