The fear of man

The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever leans on, trusts in, and puts his confidence in the Lord is safe and set on high.

— Proverbs 29:25 (AMPC)

We’re always faced with two choices: We can live to please other people, or we can live to please God. The apostle Paul made it clear that if he’d been trying to be popular with people, he wouldn’t have chosen to follow Jesus (see Galatians 1:10). God works through men and women who are determined to obey and live for Him, not those who are controlled by the fear of man. We all want to be liked and accepted, but we can’t let that desire run our lives. If it does, we’re guaranteed to reap Henry Swope’s formula for failure, which is “try to please everybody.”

Read This: Fix your eyes on Jesus

King Saul lost the kingdom of Israel because he allowed his fear of man to cause him to disobey God (see 1 Samuel 13:8–14). As a result, God took the kingdom from Saul and gave it to David, who was a man after His own heart. David did not let people control him the way Saul did. David’s own brother Eliab clearly disapproved of him, but the Bible says that David walked away from Eliab and kept on doing what he was supposed to do (see 1 Samuel 17:28–30). In the same way, we should walk away from the people who try to discourage, control or accuse us. Instead of allowing what they say or think to take root in our hearts, we can choose to move forward into what God has called us to do, knowing that He’s proud of us.

Prayer Starter: Father, please help me not to give in to the fear of what others think about me. Thank You for giving me the strength I need to live to please You first. In Jesus’ Name, amen.