That nervous feeling ...
That nervous feeling ...
It's "funny" how my classmates (myself included) still feel the jitters and butterflies in our stomach when we are due for presentations before the entire class. Just the recent sermon illustration which took 3 weeks for the entire class to clear our turns, I noticed that every single one of us felt nervous when we are standing in front of the entire class presenting our illustrations.
Bro said that it was because we know that the attention of the entire class will be on us during those moments ... pal said that it was because we were handling the Word of God, and we felt the pressure of it, especially before the presence of fellow classmates undergoing the same equipping process, and some who are even more well versed and knowledgable that us.
While I guess both of them had valid points, I supposed the "pressure" also come from the fact that those evaluating you and assessing you are the very people you are familiar with, and at times when we hear true comments and feedback (despite how helpful they are) from friends we know and who know us, it takes a lot more humility and courage to swallow what's given. Comparing with standing in the presence of a congregation that you hardly know and giving a message, it is actually perhaps less "frightening".
Personally, I think having all these jitters are good signs - it reminds us that we should not be overly dependent on ourselves (our abilities or our flesh) but to be dependent on God, more so when it is His Word we are handling and delivering. James 3:1 reminds us that "not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly." However, the nervousness should also not be something that overshadow our confidence such that we appear weak and wobbly before our congregation, causing them to discredit our ability even before God use us to speak for Him.
It's "funny" how my classmates (myself included) still feel the jitters and butterflies in our stomach when we are due for presentations before the entire class. Just the recent sermon illustration which took 3 weeks for the entire class to clear our turns, I noticed that every single one of us felt nervous when we are standing in front of the entire class presenting our illustrations.
Bro said that it was because we know that the attention of the entire class will be on us during those moments ... pal said that it was because we were handling the Word of God, and we felt the pressure of it, especially before the presence of fellow classmates undergoing the same equipping process, and some who are even more well versed and knowledgable that us.
While I guess both of them had valid points, I supposed the "pressure" also come from the fact that those evaluating you and assessing you are the very people you are familiar with, and at times when we hear true comments and feedback (despite how helpful they are) from friends we know and who know us, it takes a lot more humility and courage to swallow what's given. Comparing with standing in the presence of a congregation that you hardly know and giving a message, it is actually perhaps less "frightening".
Personally, I think having all these jitters are good signs - it reminds us that we should not be overly dependent on ourselves (our abilities or our flesh) but to be dependent on God, more so when it is His Word we are handling and delivering. James 3:1 reminds us that "not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly." However, the nervousness should also not be something that overshadow our confidence such that we appear weak and wobbly before our congregation, causing them to discredit our ability even before God use us to speak for Him.
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