DAY 87: FEAR OF MAN
The fear of man brings a snare, But whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe.
Proverbs 29:25
Fear of man. What is that? Man here does not mean the male gender, it refers to humanity. People who have the fear of men are not necessarily afraid of interacting with people, their fear stems from what people will think of them, how people will perceive them, how people will respond to their actions
It can manifest as shyness or timidity, fear of embarrassment, fear of disapproval, desire to be like, often a desire to please people, and many other ways. When you have The Fear of People, setting boundaries and saying no, will be a real struggle and you will be too concerned about whether people like what you did, said, or thought. This is a dangerous way to live because it will get you in trouble.
Example
Peter denied Jesus because he was afraid of what those men would do to him if they discovered he was Jesus’ disciple. He also acted hypocritical and refused to eat with the Gentiles when some people came around because he was afraid of being judged. (See: Matthew 26:69-75, Galatians 2:11-14, 1 Samuel 13-15). King Saul is another example. He was so concerned about losing people’s approval that he disobeyed God; as a result, he lost God’s approval, and his throne was given to David instead of his sons.
You cannot live your life trying to please men, it will get you in trouble. Instead, live to please God. It is impossible to please all men. Somebody will not like you and that is a fact. One way to overcome this fear is to remember that God already approves of you and is pleased with those who live by faith. You do not need men’s approval because it is unstable and unreliable. Today you are their favorite and tomorrow you’re not. But every day you are the apple of God’s eye. So focus on what God thinks of you and not what men think of you.
Confession
Today, I declare that I am free from the fear of men. I no longer seek man’s approval or acceptance above God. I rest in the fact that God approves of me even when men don’t.
Amen. Shalom
