Proverbs 29:25 - Fear Man or Trust God?
Proverbs 29:25 (NIV) Fear of man will prove
to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD
is kept safe.
Proverbs 29:25 (NLT) Fearing people is a
dangerous trap, but trusting the LORD means safety.
Proverbs 29:25 (MSG) The fear of human
opinion disables; trusting in God protects you from
that.
INTRODUCTION
Fear of people can hamper everything you try
to do. In extreme forms, it can make you afraid
to leave your home. By contrast, fear of God -
respect, reverence, and trust - is liberating. Why
fear people who can do no eternal harm? Instead,
fear God who can turn the harm intended by others
into good for those who trust him. [Life
Application SB]
COMMENTARY PEARL
Approval
The only way to reorder our desires
toward God is to identify where our hearts are
already committed instead. One typical God
substitute is human approval. The fear of man is a
snare. If we look to human beings more than to God
for our worth and value, we will be trapped by
anxiety, by an overneed to please, by the inability
to withdraw from exploitative relationships, by
the inability to take criticism, and by a
cowardice that makes us unable to confront others. Our
feelings will be easily hurt and we will tend to
overcommit out of a desire for acceptance.
The devastation that comes from the fear
of man has many forms. It includes parents who
are afraid to discipline their children and
employees who are unable to call out corruption in
their companies. But we must obey God rather than
men (Acts 5:29). The only thing that casts out
the fear of man is a deep love relationship with
God (1 John 4:18). Then we can say, "The Lord is
my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere
mortals do to me?" (Hebrews 13:6)
Whose approval is functionally more
important to you than God's?
Lord Jesus, you said that you were the
liberator (John 8:36). Now liberate me from my
enslavement to the "fear of man." I am far too concerned
about what people think of me. If I have the
regard of the King, why should I care about what
others say? Never let me forget this. Amen.
[Gods Wisdom for Navigating Life by Timothy Keller
with Kathy Keller]
COMMENTARY
Gods Opinion Matters Most
Every time you make a decision based on
what other people will think, you sow seeds for
failure in your life.
You may not realize it, but fearing the
disapproval of others causes more problems in your life
than almost anything else. When you worry about
what other people think, you tend to do the
popular thing, even if you know its wrong. You
make commitments that you cant possibly keep,
simply because youre trying to make everybody
happy. This is a recipe for failure.
And its one of the reasons Peter
failed Jesus by denying him three times. He was
more concerned with what other people thought
than with being faithful to Jesus.
The Bible says, But Peter followed
along at a distance and came to the courtyard of
the high priests palace. He went in and sat
down with the guards to see what was going to
happen ... While Peter was sitting out in the
courtyard, a servant girl came up to him and said,
You were with Jesus from Galilee. But in
front of everyone Peter said, That isnt so!
I dont know what you are talking
about! (Matthew 26:58, 69-70 CEV).
Peter had just spent three years with
Jesus, the Son of God. But the first time he had a
chance to acknowledge this privilege, instead he
denied Jesus. Peter was more worried about what
other people thought than he was about identifying
with Christ.
Think of how many times youve had the
opportunity to share Christ and said nothing because you
were worried about what other people would
think.
Whose opinion matters to you more than
God's? When you let someone else be more important
than God, they become your god. Thats called
an idol - and thats a setup for failure.
The fear of disapproval always comes from
a hidden wound. Maybe it was a rejection in
the past. It might be an unmet need or a trauma
you experienced growing up. Its a deep pain,
so deep its hidden in you. I call it soul
pain.
That soul pain is always related to your
identity. If you dont know who you are, you will be
manipulated by the disapproval of other people the rest
of your life. You wont stand up for what you
believe or do whats right.
The Bible says in Proverbs 29:25, It
is dangerous to be concerned with what others
think of you, but if you trust the LORD, you are
safe (GNT).
When you recognize the hidden wounds in
your life, God can begin to heal them. And you
can live in the freedom of knowing that Gods
opinion matters most. [Daily Devotional by Rick
Warren: https://pastorrick.com/devotional/]
Dont Let Fear Keep You from Gods Vision
Anyone who has ever tried to do anything
great has, at some point, come face-to-face with
naysayers.
When the Wright brothers tried to
fly their first plane, people told them it would
never work because humans cant fly.
When Moses led the Israelites
across the desert, the people complained:
Were going to die! We want to go back to
Egypt!
When John F. Kennedy said the
United States would send a man to the moon, many
people said it could never be done.
If these people had let the naysayers
discourage them, imagine where the world would be
today! While some naysayers have evil plans, not
all naysayers are bad people. Some may truly
want whats best for you. They may even love
you.
But theyre not God.
So dont treat their opinions like you
would Gods opinions.
The Bible says, The fear of human
opinion disables; trusting in God protects you from
that (Proverbs 29:25 The Message).
Some of you have been disabled by the
opinions of others and you dont even realize it.
Others have become addicted to the approval of
others.
But consider another translation of
Proverbs 29:25: It is dangerous to be concerned
with what others think of you, but if you trust
the Lord, you are safe (GNT).
Other peoples opinions can sidetrack
you from Gods purpose for your life.
When you give more weight to the opinions
of others than you do to Gods opinion, you
stay on the sidelines when God wants you in the
game. You stay locked up in a prison of self-made
fear.
Dont let that happen.
Let go of your fears and trust Gods
vision for your life. Hes your biggest
cheerleader. He wants you to succeed, and hes working
in your life so you will. [Daily Devotional by
Rick Warren: https://pastorrick.com/devotional/]
PRACTICAL APPLICATION
The fear of man is a snare. A snare is a
kind of trap - something that entangles you,
making it difficult for you to escape. "Fear of
man" involves being overly concerned about what
others think of you. Its an unhealthy, ungodly
focus - seeing yourself through the eyes of
others. This fear can be crippling, and it is full
of distortions. Other people's views of you are
distorted by their sinful nature. Furthermore, it's
almost impossible to know what they really think
about you. When you view yourself from others'
perspectives, you add your own distortions to theirs. As
you strive to present an acceptable "persona,"
you become trapped.
When you realize that fear of man is
motivating you - controlling your thoughts and behavior
- come to Me. At your request, I will forgive
you for making others' views of you into an
idol; I will help you break free from these
entanglements. Affirm your trust in Me and take time to
enjoy My Presence. As you forget about yourself
and focus on Me, your loving Lord, you grow
increasingly free! (Pro. 29:25; 1Jo. 1:9; 2Co. 3:17)
[Jesus Always by Sarah Young]
LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY
Psalm 118:6 - With God Why Fear!
https://www.abible.com/devotions/2022/20221022-0835.html
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
https://abible.com/links/
