I’m scared to talk in front of the class

Q: I’m terrified to get up in front of my class to do a presentation. Help.

A: Talking in front of people can seem really scary. But you’ve got this. Or maybe I should say, God’s got this.

When I was in eighth grade, I wanted to attend a theater camp, but it required an audition to get in. I’d never auditioned in front of people I didn’t know, and I was nervous. Practicing my monologue and song a lot and picking an outfit to wear made me feel a little more relaxed. But what prepared me the most for the audition was when my mom took me to talk with a Christian Science practitioner.

When I told the practitioner what I was worried about, she shared a passage from the Bible about a time when one of the disciples made a request of Jesus. He said, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.” The way Jesus responded was interesting: “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and yet you still don’t know who I am? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father!” (John 14:8, 9, New Living Translation). 

I’d never auditioned in front of people I didn’t know, and I was nervous.

What Jesus was conveying was that by seeing him—his perfect representation of God’s nature—Philip and others were really seeing God. That’s true of each of us, too. Not that we are God, but we represent God. This made sense to me because, in my Christian Science Sunday School class, I’d learned that each of us is an expression of our creator. Mary Baker Eddy explains it this way in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures: “As the reflection of yourself appears in the mirror, so you, being spiritual, are the reflection of God” (p. 516). 

If we realize that God is the one actually doing the work because God is the source of all action, it takes the pressure off of us to perform perfectly. We can lean on the power of divine Love, God. I also find it so comforting that the Bible tells us that Love destroys fear (see I John 4:18). When we focus on loving the audience rather than worrying about how we look or sound, performing or speaking in front of people can even be fun. 

That’s what I found at my audition. I wasn’t nervous, and I actually had a really good time. I was accepted into the theater camp, which had a major impact on my life. I ended up majoring in theater in college and went on to do many, many more auditions and performances without fear.

Whenever audience members would compliment me after a performance, I would take a moment to tell God, “That was for You, because You did the work.” That doesn’t mean I didn’t do the work of learning lines and putting hours into rehearsal. But knowing that I’m the reflection, not the source, was what made performing so much less stressful and more enjoyable. 

If we realize that God is the one actually doing the work because God is the source of all action, it takes the pressure off of us to perform perfectly. 

There’s a hymn from the Christian Science Hymnal that I love to pray with before I go onstage in any setting. The first verse says:

The hymn reminds me that I can know that God is governing my movements and thoughts when I’m onstage, so I can keep my thoughts on loving the audience and being in the moment. Being consecrated, or devoted, to knowing God really helps lift the burden of fear and stress. 

So, you’ve got this, because God’s got you. You will reflect God beautifully, and your classmates and teacher will see Love shining through.