Prevailing Purpose

Lately a frequent topic of my recent conversations has included fear of man. Either because many around me happen to be wrestling with it or, much more likely, I needed to be convicted of it, it has been top of mind.

Scripture speaks on fear of man in places like Proverbs and Galatians, saying:

Fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe. Proverbs 29:25

and

For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I still trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man I would not be a servant of God.

Galatians 1:10.

But the tricky thing is that when we read these scriptures we rarely think that they apply to us. Of course we’re not trying to please others. When we overextend ourselves to avoid saying “no” or make personal decisions based on other people’s opinions and feelings we just loving our neighbor as ourself, right?

A helpful place to begin when considering if we are caught in the snare of fear of man, is with a definition, and one that I love for its simplicity and sufficiency comes from Ed Welch’s work When People are Big and God is Small:

“We fall into fear of man when we desire the approval of others so much that we need them (for ourselves) more than we love them (for the glory of God).”

With this definition in mind, how then can we be rescued from the trap of fear of man? If we have no clear way of escape, it is easy to entrap ourselves more tightly.

Fortunately, our path forward is one of hope. If we place our trust in the people and world around us, it will always fall short. But when we place our trust in the Lord, there is freedom, clarity, and wisdom. Understanding who God is and the promises that he makes to us in scripture give us the confidence to interact with our brothers and sisters in a way that truly demonstrates love and honor.

My encouragement to you today then, is first to ask the Lord to show you where you exercising a fear of man, and second to remind your heart of his promises.

God is near (Psalm 34:18)

He is ready to help (Psalm 121:1-2)

He is faithful (1 Corinthians 10:13)

He is our refuge (Psalm 46)

He is our salvation (Psalm 27:1)

And much more.

Lean into him today. He is gracious, kind, and loving and can be trusted. Unlike the world, he will never lead you astray and is prepared to set you free from the snare of fear of man.

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If you are walking through a difficult season and can benefit from biblical counseling, schedule a session with myself or another qualified counselor today.