Fear of man will prove a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.
---Proverbs 29:25
APPROVAL. The only way to reorder our desires toward God is to identify where our hearts are already committed instead. Let us look at the most typical God substitutes. The first 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. (1John 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?
Prayer: 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.
God's Wisdom for Navigating Life, Page 96
Timothy Keller with Kathy Keller
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