What does the Bible say about social anxiety?
What does the Bible say about social anxiety? In our world today, many of us are suffering from social anxiety and living in fear.
Social anxiety is a mental disorder that affects almost half of the world. If we don’t face the anxiety little by little, it can be a lifelong problem.
Many of us don’t know that Moses had social anxiety; he was afraid of speaking to the pharaoh and leading the Israelites. God made him confident by making him face his fear and trusting God.
The Bible’s description of Moses struggle is similar to what we would now call social anxiety disorder.
God provided Moses with the support he needed to speak effectively to the Israelites and Pharaoh. God sent Aaron (Moses’ brother) to accompany him when he spoke with Pharaoh and the Israelites.
We are often afraid that society will not accept us and will hurt us if we associate with them. Those thoughts are not from God; they are from the devil, who wants to steal our confidence away.
God has not given us the spirit of fear, and he wants us to be confident. If we are not confident enough to associate with society, how are we to tell them about Jesus?
The devil wants us to live in fear and to avoid people so that our dreams will die with us. God made us social creatures, so we need each other in order to survive and succeed.
The Bible says in Psalm 139:23, NIV Your anxious thoughts do not turn him off, nor do they evoke his irritation or ire against you. Instead, God lovingly accepts you as you are and will gently help you make changes so you can be more confident when you interact with others.
What is social anxiety?
Social anxiety disorder is characterized by severe and persistent worry about being judged by others. This fear can have an impact on many areas of our lives. It can make it difficult to make and keep friends.
We have to trust God like Moses did, and he will help us overcome our fear. He does not want us to be fearful; he wants us to be courageous.
God also helped Gideon overcome his fear of low self-esteem. God is always there to help us. When fear comes to your mind, tell yourself that God has not given you the spirit of fear.
Be courageous and go after your dreams and the goals God has put in your heart. You are not the only one who has social anxiety; great people in the Bible had the same problem.
If God can help them to be confident and courageous, he will surely help you too if you call on him.