“Dare to stand before those you fear and speak your mind, even if your voice shakes.”
― Maggie Kuhn
And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.
– Paul, Apostle of Jesus, 1 Corinthians 2:3
I am guilty of judging content by delivery. If someone is confident and smooth in their presentation, I sometimes give them much more credit than someone who is halting, trembles and shows their insecurity.
Fortunately God uses people like Paul who boasted of his weaknesses in order that Christ’s power would influence people, not his own power.
Last summer I stood up in front of about 100 people at a satellite campus of our church and presented a new ministry: hope for mental health. My hands were shaking so badly I could not read my notes, and my voice was shaking as well. But the comments I received afterwards about the content were positive, and we laughed about the delivery.
Perhaps you can relate less to the polished person than the trembling speaker, and you decline to talk about Jesus to others (friends, family, strangers) because of fear.
Fear is your friend.
If you trust Jesus with your eternity, trust him to fill you, and give you words and everything else you need to tell the people he died for, that he loves them. Jesus takes full responsibility for you when you obey him. And obeying Jesus is fun. Being filled with Jesus and doing what he wants is the most fun I have ever had. And I did it with shaking hands and shaking voice. Fear was my friend because it drove away reliance on “me” and allowed Jesus to guide me, to do his work, his way, with his words.
Whatever your excuse for not doing what Jesus has commanded you to do is not worth holding onto. Having the courage to obey Jesus does not mean you will not be afraid. It means you love and trust Jesus more than your fear.
I AM for You! 