Fighting Fear of Man
Reverence belongs to God, but so often in life we give it to men who are just like you and I. At times, we find ourselves wrongfully giving our awe, submission, and reverence to people who will one day stand before the same God you and I will. Why is this? It's because of fear of man. Fear of man is a condition of the heart that says "what people think of me is more important than what God thinks of me." This couldn't be a more dangerous place to be in spiritually. I believe that fear of man is a cancer in the heart of the Body that needs to go into remission, but it can only happen on cell, one member (of the Body) at a time. If you want to tear down fear of man in your own life, read the full post below.
ENCOURAGE
Affirmation: “I fear God, not man.”
Anchor Scripture: Proverbs 29:25 (NKJV)
“The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe.”
Fear of man can be a major stumbling block in the life of a Believer. Perhaps there have been times in your life where you found yourself struggling to stand firm in your faith or speak the truth in the midst of tension, challenging beliefs, or opposing views. Well, you’re not alone in that, because I have too. For me, moments like that have felt immeasurably uncomfortable because on one hand, I love the Lord deeply and want others to know the truth, and at the same time I love people and knowing how the world view Christians, I never want to come across as hateful, condemning, or bigoted. However, as I’ve grown in my faith, I realize that what the word says is true:
I Corinthians 1:18- “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”
2 Corinthians 2:15-16- “For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life…”
I recognize that no matter if I speak the truth in love, whether in a gentle whisper or in a thunderous shout, it is always going to sound like hatred or complete foolery to those who are perishing. Understanding this, I decided I’m not going to concern myself with what the world says, but rather follow the command of the Great Commission and to allow the Holy Spirit to lead me to speak the truth, being wise as a serpent and gentle as a dove (Matthew 10:16). As I have grown more in love with God, have become deeper rooted in His word, and more empowered by His Spirit, I have seen that fear dwindle, and become quieter and smaller over time. I realize the bigger picture: there are souls on the line, and that means more to me than being liked, understood, or seen as “nice.”
So what is fear of man anyways? I would define it as “esteeming and revering people, or the opinions and behavioral responses of people, above God.” Fear of man is birthed in the heart and expressed outwardly in our behavior. It is manifested in diverse manners and is often found in the subtle ways we reject Christ from day to day. This is things like:
Being out with unbelievers and being embarrassed to pray (over food, event, or other things) so you choose not to.
Hiding your Bible or spiritual books in public because you don’t want anyone to know or ask questions about it.
Ignoring the Holy Spirit when He has clearly instructed you to talk to someone about something specific.
Participating or coming into agreement with sin-natured ideas, concepts, or behaviors of others (i.e. gossiping, liking/sharing inappropriate things on social media, back-biting, false god worship, claiming astrology/horoscopes, coveting, giving into lust, lying or exaggerating stories, etc ).
Doing or saying things that oppose God’s word to gain favor or promotion from man.
Avoiding telling the truth when faced with challenging questions or conversations.
When you think about fear of man, you might say it stems from a desperate desire to keep the peace, be liked, or feelings of insecurity/rejection. However the root of the issue is a lack of fear and reverence for God. If our reverence for man is greater than our reverence for God, we are in a dangerous place spiritually because that means God is not on His rightful place, which is the throne of our hearts. If you’re a Believer who tends to be a people pleaser, this might be a major challenge in your life, but it doesn’t have to remain one. As a Body, we must collectively be more concerned about what God thinks and says rather than the world. James 4:4-5 says, “Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously”?” When we put people pleasing, fear of man, or our desire to be liked, accepted, and agreed with before God, we make ourselves His enemy.
After all, when we compromise our beliefs or deny Christ (with our words or actions) in the face of opposing views, temptation, or discomfort, we are not being authentic. When we compromise our faith we’re only living a lie. Consequently, a life of falsehood only produces false peace and a false identity/persona that doesn’t allow people to know who we really are or what we really believe. In turn, they don’t really like you, they like the “fake” you. But can I remind you that you’re not called to live a lie? That’s an empty life! We’re called to walk in truth and freedom in Christ!
Believer, God showed His loved for us by sending His Son to die on the cross for our sins. He humbled Himself before the WHOLE WORLD, just for us to know how deep His love runs for us. If He could be put to open shame, be humiliated, taunted, tortured, scoffed at, misunderstood, judged, and the like, for us, we ought to be unashamed of the Gospel!
Fear of man is a faith quencher and we need to fight against it by building a holy reverence for God. Fear of man, if left unaddressed, can cause us to compromise, hide, and deny Christ in the subtlest of ways that can eventually lead to total abandonment of God. If fear comes, command it to go, because God has NOT given you the spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7). Family, the Bible teaches us that we are to fear and revere GOD, not man. This is the reality: That if we deny Christ before man, Christ promised to deny us before the Father (Matthew 10:33). Let this not be our case in Jesus name! Instead, let us be bold as lions for Christ, not cowards passively cruising through life avoiding the commission to share Jesus with the souls who need His salvation. Today, be encouraged by the word and make the decision to hold our God, the Creator of the entire universe, in right-sized esteem, above all things.
EQUIP
Meditation Scriptures
Matthew 10:33 “But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.”
Matthew 10:28 “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”
Luke 12:5 “But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!”
Proverbs 19:23 “The fear of the Lord leads to life, and he who has it will abide in satisfaction; He will not be visited with evil.”
Psalm 24:1 “The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein.”
Psalms 34:9 “Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him.”
I Samuel 12:24 “Only fear the Lord, and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you.”
BUILD
Reflect: What are some past or present ways fear of man has manifested in your life? What are some practical ways you can combat fear of man in your life? What does boldness for Christ look like in your life?
