“The fear of human opinion disables; trusting God protects you from that.” The Message
There’s a lot of scary things in life and I’m not just talking about the latest Halloween outfits. Fears seem to come in all shapes, sizes and colors. Often they seem to be “tailor made” for us. Fear destroys families, friendships, our health and our peace of mind. As author Henry David Thoreau has said “Nothing is so much to be feared as fear.”
So how can we combat this enemy? Note Solomon’s words above, “Whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.” Were you aware that over 366 times in the Bible we are commanded by God to “FEAR NOT”? Literally one for each day of the year.
So let’s tackle just this one fear, the fear of man. You may know it by its alias, “PEER PRESSURE”. You know, keeping up with the Jone’s, Smith’s and Walton’s. It’s poor decision making to get a better name or because “everyone else is doing it.” We fear man more than God when we pass on doing the right thing because we don't want to deal with the grief. Fear of man comes into play when we want to please anyone more than we desire to please our Lord Jesus.
So what can we do?
1. Decide to do the right thing even if it’s inconvenient. Then trust God with the results. Proverbs 21:3 “to do what is right & just is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifices.” (see also Pro. 23:19)
2. When unsure about #1, seek the counsel of Godly people. I say Godly, because many have an opinion, but you need input from those who already fear the Lord. Proverbs 19:20 “Listen to advice and accept instruction and in the end you will be wise.”
John Ortberg makes a keen observation when he writes, “You will never know God is trustworthy if you don't risk obeying him.” Were you aware both Trust & Fear have something in common? They are both contagious & can be spread to others.
God’s desire for your life is to be faithful and fruitful, not fearful. “Whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe”, is kept secure! Be Safe today!!
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