Daniel Seabaugh

Many people fear public speaking. For years, I avoided it at all costs. I didn’t like the feeling of people staring at me while I attempted, usually through shaky hands, nervous sweat, and odd body language, to deliver a message or teach on a topic. If I had a public speaking engagement planned, dread and angst consumed me for weeks leading up to it.

Over the years, and particularly in my current season of life as a pastor, I’ve learned some tricks that have made public speaking easier. Thankfully, they work. But they’re not a magic bullet or something that can be mastered in a day. Like many good goals in life, such as weight loss, saving money, a healthy marriage, the completion of an academic degree, and so on, these steps take time and discipline. But they pay off eventually.

Here are a few ways to overcome fear of public speaking:

1. Regularly speak in public.

I know. Easier said than done.

If we don’t speak in public, though, we’ll never get good at it, let alone overcome our fear. No doubt, this tip is the most difficult because it puts us in the line of fire. But like anything we fear, if we don’t face the giant, the fear will remain, and we’ll be continually defeated.

In some cases, the thing we fear about public speaking, whether it be an anxiety attack, stumbling on our words, drawing a blank, or something else entirely, may actually become reality. I remember speaking in front of a large group once and drawing a blank in the middle of the thing I was saying. It was awkward. My face turned bright red. Thousands of eyeballs stared at me. In the moment, I didn’t know what else to do but start talking about the next thing I had planned, completely missing the conclusion of the thing I was saying. I’m sure people were confused, maybe even embarrassed for me. But looking back, I doubt many people remember that moment, even though it’s burned into my memory. I felt crushed, humiliated, and embarrassed. But I lived through it. The thing I feared actually happened, and it wasn’t that bad.

There are still times when I lose my train of thought while public speaking. Now, however, I acknowledge it in the moment, sometimes making light of it. “Wow, guys! I completely forgot what I was going to say. Oh well. Moving on!”

In many cases, acknowledging awkwardness publicly makes things less awkward. For instance, if you’re nervous, say so. If you forget your line, say something about that, then move on.

Speaking in public gets easier over time. We’ll never think our way into great public speaking. I’m all for planning, thinking, praying, and just about anything else that’ll help us grow or prepare, but if we never step into a public speaking moment, the other things matter very little, if not at all.

2. Stop thinking about yourself.

I think we fear public speaking in large part because we think about ourselves too much. We wonder how others will perceive us; we worry we’ll miss an important point; we fear rejection or looking stupid; we want others to think we’re smart, prepared, and good at public speaking. These aren’t bad things to consider. But all the ones listed have self at the center. We need to stop thinking about ourselves because, truth be told, it’s not about us.

I have found it helpful to think about moments when I’m an audience member. Generally, in such scenarios, I’m not thinking about the person speaking. I’m thinking about myself, or, in my best moments, how what they’re sharing resonates with my story or not. Sometimes, I’m thinking about lunch, something I want to share with my wife, or the meeting I have the next day. The person speaking may be doing a fabulous job or fumbling over his words, but I wouldn’t know it because I’m not paying attention. Take heart, and I say this to encourage you; there are a number of people in your audience doing the same thing. They’re not listening. Which sort of leads to the next tip.

3. Stop caring about what others think.

We need to be respectful of others because they are made in God’s image. But we don’t need to worry about what they think or how they interpret what we say. Our task as communicators is to deliver the message we’ve been given, whether from God, our organization, or our direct supervisor, with as much clarity as possible. If we love others and care about their souls, lifting them up to God in prayer before opening our mouths, chances are, we’ll be ok. But even if we mess up, fumble, or forget our lines, it doesn’t matter.

We can’t please everyone, nor should that be our goal. Our value and worth come from God alone. That doesn’t change, regardless of whether people think we’re stellar or terrible at public speaking. That doesn’t even change if we misspeak and say something stupid or unbiblical.

I used to be afraid of speaking about the Bible in front of people who knew a lot about it. But as I’ve grown in my faith, I’ve learned that reminders can be very helpful, especially for those who have been walking with the Lord for a while. Sometimes the simple truths are the ones we need to hear again and again. We don’t need to be uber-nerdy Bible scholars to share what we do know or have learned about the Word.

At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter what others think, and it doesn’t even matter what we think. It matters immensely what God thinks. That should be our final consideration.

4. Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you, and trust that he will.

Without the Holy Spirit, it’s highly probable that fear will remain. We need him more than we know. In my experience, when I ask him to fill, encourage, and empower me, bringing life through my words, he shows up right on time, not a minute sooner. This typically means stepping onto a platform while fear remains, only to experience a profound level of peace and clarity the moment I turn my mic on. I don’t know how it all works, but he always shows up. Trust that he’ll be there for you as well.