Walking into new social situations can be scary and nerve-wracking. It is even worse if you struggle with social anxiety. We were created for community and connection with others. We thrive when we are a part of healthy friendships and relationships…

Listen, if your palms get all sweaty at the thought of having to mingle or you would just much rather stay at home in your pj’s watching Netflix from bed than go to a new place where you have to interact with strangers for an undisclosed amount of time, I feel you.

I, too, struggle with social anxiety, and thankfully God has bought me a very long way. I have struggled with social anxiety for as long as I have been social. It stinks.

The big problem is that it keeps us from the community we need and crave, and it buries us in fear and anxiety until we have isolated ourselves and built walls to protect us from unseen threats.

So much of the encouragement and growth we need and crave in this life will come from the Father but through others. We NEED people and a community. So how can we press through the social phobias to make the connections we crave?

Luckily the Bible is full of verses straight from God that will motivate you to move and empower you to live free from the chains of fear and anxiety.

DISCLAIMER: I get emails about this post, so let me make a couple of things clear. If you have very severe social anxiety or if your anxiety is caused by trauma, get counseling. This is an encouraging Bible verse round-up post you found on the internet.

Scripture is powerful, and I believe this post’s verses will help EVERYONE, but sometimes we need extra help in this life, and that is what good therapy is for.

So, by all means, read and enjoy this post. I believe it will help everyone who suffers from social anxiety but also get help if help is what you need, my friend. There is no shame.

Walking into new social situations can be really scary and nerve wracking. It is even worse if you struggle with social anxiety. We were created for community and connection with others. We thrive when we are a part of healthy friendships and relati…

Proverbs 18:1

Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment. Proverbs 18:1

Man, right off the bat, isn’t this one of those verses we tend to like to avoid? Just me? Okay. Luckily the Holy Spirit within us doesn’t allow such nonsense.

Let me know if you relate - I have a history of being a total isolator. I am a natural homebody, and I am not ashamed of that fact. I love being at home in comfy clothes, reading, or working on this blog. I am very introverted. I need quiet time to charge. I like my space.

Sound like you too? Sweet. Birds of a feather we are!

What about this confession - I also struggle with the lie that I am not wanted or that I am not very important to anyone. I find it difficult to believe that people like me sometimes.

Relate to that one? It’s less fun and quirky than the first I know. But at least we are not alone?

Isolating yourself comes naturally, but you have to know that it is very destructive, and it is pointing to deeper unresolved issues. We isolate ourselves to protect ourselves out of fear.

You NEED to be in a community.

You NEED to surround yourself and be in fellowship with fellow believers.

You NEED good and godly people around you to thrive in this life.

Philippians 2:3-4

Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Philippians 2:3-4

There is a major key in this scripture passage. In humility, consider others as more significant than yourself. Humility is so hard to walk in because pride is so blinding.

You may be wondering what pride has to do with this. Maybe you’re thinking, “I am not prideful. I think I am terrible, no good, pathetic, better off alone, or insert some other random self depreciating thought.”

Listen, my friend, true humility is learning to see yourself the way that God sees you. Just like Moses told us that he was the most humble man in the world.

You have to figure out who the Father is saying you are and let His declarations be louder than both the positive and negative things you label yourself as in your head.

When you see yourself rightly, it will enable you to view others the way the Father sees them and in social situations that will help you shift your focus from yourself and how awkward you may be to them.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8a

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a

This is such a VBS/Sunday school verse, but it’s soo good. These are the characteristics of love. God is love, and His Spirit is at work in all believers. If you are a believer, you are already victorious over fear and anxiety.

Imagine walking into a social situation convinced that you are kind and patient as others may also feel out of place, that you are not there to build yourself up or make some grand impression.

Imagine being prepared to count others as more important, meaning your focus is on other people and not on how other people are experiencing you.

That kind of confidence can only come through the Father as we grow in our faith and relationship with Him. But it is so comforting to know that it is possible.

That we can grow in how we interact with others. That we can be brave, and we can find security and confidence in the Father’s love for us.

Proverbs 20:5

The purpose in a man's heart is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out. Proverbs 20:5

We are capable of drawing out the deep things from others. Are you aware that most people struggle from social anxiety to some degree? Everyone is afraid, even the loud and obnoxious people we tend to avoid.

Listen, people NEED you. You come with a unique set of gifts, talents, perspectives, and experiences. There are people that you are the most equipped to reach.

I love this verse because it makes new social situations more of a game or challenge. We can go in to connect in a meaningful way with at least one person.

Now I am not saying go in like a crazy person trying to find and expose everyone’s childhood wounds…because from experience, I can tell you that’s not the most effective way to build connection. 😳

You are going after connection. It can be deep, or it can be chill or it can be fun. You want to make a connection that leaves you both feeling like someone saw you today.

Matthew 11:28-30

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

Social anxiety is a burden. It weighs down on you. Plus, you are cut off from people, so relief can be hard to find when there aren’t a lot of people close enough to you to see that you are struggling.

It is in these moments that it is imperative to remember that the Holy Spirit is with you, and He is offering you rest and freedom.

Take these moments to dive into the Word of God and learn what He says about you. Start to loosen those chains by taking the truth of who you are. If you need a place to start we have a whole post full of Identity in Christ verses that you NEED to check out and study.

Psalm 18:1-3

I love you, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies. Psalm 18:1-3

Regardless of what your individual journey with social anxiety looks like, know this - God is our strength. He WILL help us. He will strengthen us.

He knows our struggles, and He is pulling us through and empowering us to live free. He is our deliverer and our shield. Remember who our enemy is. Remember who the source of fear is. God is helping us to overcome.

So whether you need to do some work to push through and challenge yourself or if you need to come alongside a counselor and a spiritual director to overcome some trauma and stumbling blocks, know that the Father is right there with you in the process.

Even if it gets messy, He won’t leave you alone in it.

Hebrews 10:24-25

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. Hebrews 10:24-25

Remarkable things happen when we get around other believers and begin to work through life together. Even as an introvert, there is just something about having been around people that I care about and who build me up in faith and also make me laugh and distract me from my own stuff that just can’t be beaten.

There’s this stirring up that happens when we get together and be around each other. Sure I need a nap and a day alone afterward sometimes, but I can not deny the value of having people and community around me.

More Verses For Social Anxiety

Psalm 133:1

Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! Psalm 133:1

Galatians 6:2

Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2

2 Timothy 1:7

For God will never give you the spirit of fear, but the Holy Spirit who gives you mighty power, love, and self-control. 2 Timothy 1:7 TPT

Proverbs 29:25

The fear of man lays a snare,
but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe. Proverbs 29:25 ESV

1 John 4:18-19

Love never brings fear, for fear is always related to punishment. But love’s perfection drives the fear of punishment far from our hearts. Whoever walks constantly afraid of punishment has not reached love’s perfection. Our love for others is our grateful response to the love God first demonstrated to us. 1 John 4:18-19 TPT

We are FIRM believers that you can’t love people the way God calls you to until you let God love you! If you are in need of more focused study and a reminder or encouragement of just how extremely loved you are by the Father, sign up for our free 6-day scripture writing challenge, Extravagant. Join over 1,000 other believers as we spend six short but powerful days focusing into the love the Father has for you!

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John 14:27

“I leave the gift of peace with you—my peace. Not the kind of fragile peace given by the world, but my perfect peace. Don’t yield to fear or be troubled in your hearts—instead, be courageous! John 14:27 TPT

Philippians 4:6-7

Don’t be pulled in different directions or worried about a thing. Be saturated in prayer throughout each day, offering your faith-filled requests before God with overflowing gratitude. Tell him every detail of your life, then God’s wonderful peace that transcends human understanding, will make the answers known to you through Jesus Christ. Philippians 4:6-7

Proverbs 27:17

Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another. Proverbs 27:17 ESV

I encourage you to write these verses down in a journal or save them in a note on your phone. Spend some time with the verses. Use them as journaling prompts.

& I hope they encourage you and show you all that is possible! You are victorious my friend! You are wanted and needed and you are important!

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