By Gavin Aleogho
Fear of man is a dangerous trap, but to trust in God means safety. Proverbs 29:25 TLB.
If there is a kind of fear you should be aware of and walk to overcome completely, it is the fear of man. As humans, we are directly or indirectly affected by the opinion of people in our lives which tends to affect the way we do things and also the decisions we make in life. Going through the scriptures, there are several warnings to this effect because of the adverse effect it causes.
According to Proverbs 29:25, whenever you are afraid of any man, you are indirectly setting a trap for yourself. Once a man is caught in this trap, a door is opened to several problems. Thus, the fear of man is the gateway to self-captivity. If you don’t check it out, it will destroy your life, alter your destiny and hinder you from trusting God. The Fear of man would immobilize you when you should take action.
Not forgetting that there are some devilish men who take pleasure in taking advantage of people who fear them. Such are looking for people who have an inherent “fear of man” in them to prey on them through diverse forms of victimization.
WHAT IS THE FEAR OF MAN?
The fear of man is an unhealthy concern about what other men may think about you, say about you or do to you. It manifests itself through insecurity, which is the fear of losing out on something or somebody. Thus it leads to:
- Valuing the opinion of men more than the truth or God’s opinion.
- Craving the applause or approval of men to the detriment of what is right in God’s sight.
- The fright of being labelled, ridiculed or persecuted for what is right.
- A slavish reverence for men and human’s authority at the detriment of self, self-esteem and others.
THIS IS NOT A CALL TO
I must quickly state that not-fearing man does not imply arrogance or being disrespectful. Neither does it imply living an “I don’t care lifestyle” or becoming a lone ranger. But it is a call to becoming man-enough to air your view or take your stand with the application of wisdom, while you keep loving, respecting and being courteous to every man.
WHY DO PEOPLE FEAR MAN?
Like King Zedekiah (Jeremiah 38:19), the fear of disgrace or being ridiculed are few of the reasons why we fear our fellow man.
The irony of life is that we fear the person or persons we ascribe most authority to. It could be our boss, religious leader, spouse or even our children. When we idolize any man whether directly or indirectly, we fear them. We end up dreading their views about us or our opinion.
As humans, we desire the approval and acceptance of the persons we love most or the persons under whose authority we are. This tendency is natural in every man but should be achieved through a legitimate source. However, if it is not put in check, it may lead to an unhealthy fear of the persons involved.
Thus, in our subconscious mind, we should never forget that God has the highest authority and that every man ahead of us, irrespective of their spiritual or social status are all under the authority of God Almighty. So, See God, and crave the approval and acceptance of God above any man and that will settle your fear.
Jesus Christ made a striking statement in Luke 12:4, that “"And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.”
Besides the fact that there is a limit to what any man can do to you, you must never forget the frailty of every human. All men are dust, and dust they will all returned to irrespective of their personality.
"Listen to Me, you who know righteousness, You people in whose heart is My law: Do not fear the reproach of men, Nor be afraid of their insults. For the moth will eat them up like a garment, And the worm will eat them like wool; But My righteousness will be forever, And My salvation from generation to generation". Isaiah 51:7-8
1. It is a sin that entangles our legs in the race of faith. Hebrews 12:1, Revelation 21:8.
2. It will make you to walk against God’s will and disobey God’s law like King Saul. 1 Samuel 15:24.
3. It will make you to lie, just like Peter lied because of the fear of man. Matthew 26:69-75.
4. It will make you to deny Christ either directly or indirectly like Peter. Matthew 26:69-75.
5. It will cause you to live in self-deceit just like Isaac. Genesis 26:7.
6. It leads to partiality in judgment. Deuteronomy 1:17.
7. It leads to the plague of silence. John 7:13
8. It will hinder you from taking your stand in life. Making you a coward. John 9:22. Galatians 2:12. John 12:42.
9. It makes people to live hypocritically like Apostle Peter was in Galatians 2:11-14.
10. It leads to bondage. Proverbs 29:25
11. It leads to compromise and being a men-pleaser. Colossians 3:22, Ephesians 6:6.
12. It makes people to be Indifferent and passive in life. Matthew 25:24-25, 29-30.
13. It leads to bondage and psychological captivity. Proverbs 29:25.
14. It drives out faith and love. 1 John 4:18.
15. It might take you off your course in life. Matthew 26:56.
16. It would cost you your throne in life and in the life to come like King Saul. 1 Samuel 15:23, 24, 26.
1. Fear God and stop being afraid of anybody in life. Luke 12:4-7.
2. Acknowledge that the fear of man is sin, thus confess it to God.
3. Admit your weakness and trust God to set you free from the fear of man.
4. Build your self-esteem and never forget your identity.
5. Expect opposition and challenges in life that will want to make you fear man.
6. Never forget that God has the final say in your life and not man.
7. Never forget the greatness of God above all humans.
8. Confront your fear with question like “What’s is the worst thing this man can do to me?” Matthew 10:28. Or with question like “why am I so concerned with what others think about me?”
9. “Ignore your fear” or “mask your fear” and confront the man, exercising your trust in God, while you resolve to obey God rather than man. Acts 5:29.
10. Never exaggerate your fear.
11. Accept God’s plans and promise over your life as against man’s plans for your life. Deuteronomy 31:6.
12. Speak to someone about your fear. Don’t die in silence.
For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." So we may boldly say: "The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?" -Hebrews 13:5b-6.
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