Being an Introvert is Fine
Pride is an attribute that many of us have, although a lot of us fail to realize it. I am an introvert and there’s nothing wrong with that. I enjoy spending time indoors, reading books, watching videos, and being with my daughter. However, there’s another part to this. I’ve always been a shy person. I’m shy to the point of anxiety. It took me a long time to understand that shyness is a form of pride.
Fear of Failure
I heard that for a long time but I did not feel prideful so I did not believe it. However, shyness is basically worrying about how others will perceive you. It’s a form of fear. You fail to measure up to your potential because you fear failing in front of others. There are so many things I wanted to do but I did not because of fear, which I called being shy. But when I look at the reality of it, I was worried about my perception in front of other people. However, God did not give us a spirit of fear.
6 For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, 7 for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
2 Timothy 1:6-7 (ESV)
When it Becomes a Problem
There is nothing wrong with being concerned with your performance sometimes. If you can’t sing, going on stage to sing in front of a crowd really isn’t going to work for you. But that isn’t shyness, it’s knowing your limitations. However, when it comes to being disobedient to God because you are worried about what others think of you, it becomes a problem.
There have been so many times that I wanted to share about Jesus with people. People that I saw needed to hear about the love of God. People that were reaching out to me even though they were not doing it overtly. I wanted so much to share but I did not want them to think negatively of me or fumble through it and say the wrong thing. I wanted to maintain a perception of being a kind person with a listening ear and I was worried that they thought I would be preachy if I said anything. My being quiet was not in the will of God.
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Matthew 28:19-20 (ESV)
Making Disciples
In Matthew, we are told to make disciples. It’s not to put anyone down but simply to share about Jesus. It can be as simple as sharing what Jesus did in my life. I’ve gone through a lot of things, anxiety, depression, defeat, and more, but if you look at my life now you would never know it. The reason why is because Jesus saved me and filled me with His Spirit. His Spirit lives in you once you accept him as your savior.
I am not the type of person to stand on a street corner yelling through a megaphone and that is not what God has called me to do. He simply wants me to share about Jesus using my own platform. God uses different people in different ways. I am an introvert, however, I do have hobbies that bring me into contact with many diverse people. And in those situations I am very confident. That is when God wants me to act. Not on a stage, not on a street corner, but in one-on-one conversations. Rather than worrying about someone’s perception of me, my only concern should be the will of God and that person’s heart.
How Can We Start to Overcome Shyness?
This is all great on the surface, but how do you overcome being shy? We can start by meditating on the Word. We need to learn that our identity is in Jesus Christ and we are new creations. The more I study and meditate, the easier I’m finding it to speak about Christ. Even though I still fail sometimes at sharing, as I did recently in a restaurant, I’m still putting myself in situations where I can share about Jesus. I started with just handing out Bibles for free, handing out tracts and bookmarks that talked about salvation. To my surprise, I was able to give away all of the Bibles and bookmarks and a lot of the tracts.
It starts with you taking that first step of faith. Learn the Word and pray. Listen to what the Spirit tells you. Then act. The more you do it, the easier it will become.