The fear of man will cripple a person. Trust me, I know. It is far too easy to get caught in the trap of trying to please everyone on the face of the earth. All too often, we compromise our personal convictions for the sake of the approval of others.
For much of my adult life, I tried to win the approval of everyone within my sphere of influence. There were many factors that led to this, details of which I don't have time to explain in this post. I would go out of my way to make sure that everyone was pleased with me. If I knew that one person didn't approve of something that I did, I would lose sleep over it, and then I would take steps to improve my image in the eyes of that person. These efforts wore me out ragged. It was tearing my soul apart. This mentality is ultimately what led me to burn-out in ministry, which I experienced five years ago. The fear of man was a shackle around my neck that tied me up in a dungeon of despair.
What I needed was a proper understanding of my position in Christ. God led me through a season of healing, and ultimately, Jesus set me free from the fear of man. It all started with my admitting, before God, that I needed help. Let me share a couple insights I learned through this process.
Pleasing God is more important than pleasing man. If God has given you a conviction, hold to it. If it is a conviction that matches up with the very Word of God, then don't do anything to change. The fear of man goes away when our complete trust, faith, and reliance is in Jesus Christ. The reality is that there will always people who disagree with us. Don't allow the opinions of people keep you from obeying the voice of God. This leads to a healthy fear of God.
Fearing God is not about worrying that He'll strike us dead if we sin, it is living with the utmost respect and honor of God in our lives. That we seek to honor Him in all we do, and that His name and renown be the desire of our heart. May our fear of God be what drives us. Paul says in Galatians 1:10, "Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ."
At the heart of living with a fear of man is the sin of pride. When pride creeps into our lives, we become more concerned with our reputation than with God's reputation and our position in Christ. When we put our faith in Jesus, we are given a new life. We are adopted as His children. He lives in us by the Holy Spirit. If our concern is our reputation, we elevate ourselves to a higher place which leads to selfishness. God calls us to be humble. James 4:6 says, "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble." When our lives are marked with humility, we become more concerned with God's place in our lives, which translates to a proper understanding of our place.
Defeating the fear of man requires courage. It is not easy to get past the negativity of people, or even to lose friends by standing up for our convictions. 2 Timothy 1:7 says, "For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline." The Holy Spirit will give us the strength to deal with the negativity and rejection that may come as a result of taking our stand.
When properly dealt with, it is freeing to overcome the fear of man. It frees you to become who God intended you to be: A worshiper and servant of Christ. It leads you to become less self-reliant and more God-reliant. It empowers you to have a healthy fear of God.
Below are the verses God used to help me overcome my fear of man and develop a healthy fear of God.
Psalm 2:11 “Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling.”
Psalm 9:10 “Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, Lord have never forsaken those who seek you.”
Psalm 15:1-4 “Lord, who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill? He whose walk is blameless and who does what is righteous, ... who despises a vile man but honors those who fear the Lord.”
Psalm 19:9 “The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the Lord are sure and altogether righteous.”
Psalm 22:23 “You who fear the Lord, praise him! All you descendants of Jacob, honor him! Revere him, all you descendants of Israel!”
Psalm 25:12-14 “Who, then, is the man that fears the Lord? He will instruct him in the way chosen for him. He will spend his days in prosperity, and his descendants will inherit the land. The Lord confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them.”
Psalm 31:19 “How great is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you, which you bestow in the sight of men on those who take refuge in you.”
Psalm 33:8-9 “Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the people of the world revere him. For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm.”
Psalm 33:18-19 “But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine.”
Psalm 34:7-9 “The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and He delivers them. Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him. Fear the Lord, you His saints, for those who fear Him lack nothing.”
Psalm 103:11 “For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him;”
Psalm 103:13 “As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;”
Psalm 118:8 “It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man.”
Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on our own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”
Proverbs 14:26-27 “He who fears the Lord has a secure fortress, and for his children it will be a refuge. The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, turning a man from the snares of death.”
Proverbs 15:16 “Better a little with the fear of the Lord than great wealth with turmoil.”
Proverbs 15:33 “The fear of the Lord teaches a man wisdom, and humility comes before honor.”
Proverbs 16:6 “Through love and faithfulness sin is atoned for; through the fear of the Lord a man avoids evil.”
Proverbs 19:23 “The fear of the Lord leads to life: Then one rests content, untouched by trouble.”
Proverbs 22:4 “Humility and the fear of the Lord bring wealth and honor and life.”
Proverbs 23:17-18 “Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always be zealous for the fear of the Lord. There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off."
Proverbs 29:25 “Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.”
