Fear of Man is Dangerous

 Proverbs 29:25

Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD will be kept safe.

The fear of man is a great roadblock for many people.  Worrying about what others will say, what they might think, or if they will approve keeps people living in fear and is an obstacle to accomplishment.  When you have a big decision to make in life, one that requires serious deliberation, what are the factors you consider as you think through your decision?  I am willing to bet that at some point you come to, "What will so-and-so say if I do this?", or "How will so-and-so react if I decide to make this change?"

There is nothing wrong with considering other people when making big life decisions, but fear of what they might say or do cannot stop you from making the right decision for you and your family.  No matter what decision you make someone will criticize you.  No matter what you accomplish in life someone will criticize you.  Guess what, criticism is the byproduct of doing something with your life.  That's why Solomon writes in the Proverb above that it's dangerous to let "fear of man" run your life.  It all comes down to one decision: Are you living for God, or are you living for your critics?

If you're living for God the only question that needs to be answered is, "How can I best serve Christ and his Church?"  This is what the second half of the verse is talking about.  When you have a big decision to make seek first to honor God and his will, and he will bless your decision however he sees fit.  It often ends up being even better than what you had envisioned.  Submitting to God's will is always the safe choice because he loves you more than anyone else can.  Submitting to man's will is dangerous and puts you at risk of living a meaningless life or doing something stupid that will ruin your life and possibly even lead you to hell.  Which option sounds better?

I understand that most decisions in life aren't that cut and dry.  We don't know the mind of God and it's futile to try to guess it.  The best strategy for making big decisions is to read God's Word everyday and pray about it.  Then after taking a reasonable amount of time to consider all the known aspects of the situation, make a decision.  Choose whichever option you feel allows you to serve Jesus best and you are confident is in line with God's will based on what you have been reading in Scripture.  The most important thing is to let God's Word be your guide, not the fear of man.

God bless

Jason Fredrick