Fear of Man
Proverbs 29:25 says that the “fear of man will prove to be a snare.” Unfortunately, this is a trap that catches us often. While it may be hard to resist, the Bible tells us that a life constrained by the fear of what people will think of you or may do to you, is a life destined for compromise and defeat (1Pt.3:14). Instead, the Bible consistently calls the righteous to be “as bold as a lion” (Prov.28:1). Vanquishing the fear of man can only be attained by having a proper and healthy fear of God.
Jesus told us that if our fear of God is what it ought to be, we won’t fear what people can do to us even if they were to take all that we have (Mt.10:28). God is our ultimate authority. He is the One to whom we will answer. In the long run, pleasing him is all that really matters. Set your sights on living for an audience of One and you will find that you’re avoiding the pain and encumbrance of Proverbs 29:25.
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Sadly, when I think of the last 40 years, I probably was more concerned about what people thought of me than when I was young and careless in high school and college. So, thank you Pastor Mike for the reminder. Proverbs 29:25 caught my attention when I was first committed to Christ about 35 years ago. Thank you so much for your devotion to God’s truth and hard work of preparation for each message. I re-listened to your sermon on Romans 2:1-3, “Passing Judgment” this morning. How appropriate in addressing this post-modern culture of cliches, and yet-“for it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God.” (1 Peter 4:17) Praise God for Focal Point radio and the online sermon archive!