Proverbs 29:25. The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe.
All throughout the scripture we see two kinds of fear: the fear of man, and the fear of God. The book of Proverbs has told us over and over again that we are to fear the Lord. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Therefore, we might add that the fear of man is the beginning of foolishness.
What is fear of man? Well, we know that to fear God is to trust God, to care about what he thinks, to know him and follow him. So, fear of man is trusting people, caring about what they think more than caring about what God thinks. It is following people instead of following God.
If we’re honest we can admit that the fear of man dominates our lives. Which of us doesn’t care what others think about us? Which of us isn’t afraid of how we may be treated by others? Which of us doesn’t make decisions based on its popularity? Which of us doesn’t stress out, at least a little bit, over who will rule over us? Which of us doesn’t desire the love, acceptance, and approval of others? Which of us doesn’t find our physical and emotional security in another person, a spouse, a boyfriend or girlfriend, a friend, our children, or even a person from our past?
In today’s proverb, we see that the fear of man lays a snare for us. But why is fear of man a trap? Because the fear of man causes us to give power over ourselves to another person. That criticism, that compliment, that glare, that smile, cause us to change course, lose sleep, stress out or feel validated. The danger, of course, is that you are giving away all power to someone who is not perfect. No person will love you unconditionally, unselfishly, consistently without change. And no person’s opinion of you is without partiality or preference. In general, people are extremely flawed, fallen even. They don’t make great decisions, they lack integrity, and are usually, on some level, using you for their own gain. Yes, even the people that love you.
How do we overcome our fear of man? By trusting the Lord. We must fight fear of man with fear of God. The only man we should fear is the God-Man, Jesus. Christ’s love for us alone is perfect, unchanging, and unconditional. The more we fear Christ the less we will fear all else. But what does it mean to fear Christ?
The fear of Christ begins and ends by looking at the cross, the place of both death and life, destruction and deliverance. By looking at the cross we are reminded of what we deserve, the destruction of both body and soul, separation from God, shame and condemnation. We must forever fear the God who could justly put us on the cross and righteously destroy us in the flames of Hell. But the cross also reveals to us the great grace and love of God for us in Christ. A love so powerful that it too must be feared, respected, and completely relied upon.
Christ in us delivers us from fear of man. Why be trapped by the opinions of others when God thinks you’re pretty great? Why be trapped trying to get others to like you when God loves you with an everlasting love? Why be afraid of those who can destroy your earthly life when God has secure eternal life for you with him? Why be so needy when all you need is Christ? Why try to shard to fit in when Jesus is in you?
You: To what degree does far of man dominate you?
You in Christ: How can resting in the fear of the Lord allow us to stop fearing man?
Christ in you: Can you identify a specific way that you are fearing man rather than God? How will looking to the cross help shift your perspective?
Pray: Father, I want to fear, love, and trust you more than anyone else. Show me where I am fearing people more than you. Amen.
To Live is Christ 