Fear God Not Man
Fear God, Not Man
“Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.” – Proverbs 29:25
What does it mean to fear something?
The Bible tells us not to fear, but it also tells us to fear God. How do those two things fit? When the Bible tells us not to fear man, does it mean “fear” in the same way as when it tells us to fear God?
Fear has two meanings.
- To be terrified of something or what that something will do to you.
- To stand in awe of something and to respect it.
The Dad and the Bully
Joe was 10 years old. One day, he was bored and went into the garage looking for something to do. He came across some fireworks that were hidden behind some things on a shelf. He knew he wasn’t supposed to mess with fireworks, especially by himself, but they just looked so cool.
He took some outside to set them off. Just as he lit one, his Dad turned onto his street. His blood went cold. He knew he was in big trouble.
A few weeks later, he was walking home from school when a bigger kid from the neighborhood started teasing him. Joe ran to his house as the big kid called him a scaredy-cat. The next day, the big kid was there again. This time, he pushed Joe to the ground, took his backpack, and started looking for something to take.
Just then, Joe’s Dad came driving down the street. His Dad stopped the car and got out. The big kid didn’t notice Joe’s Dad at first, but he noticed something change about Joe. Joe wasn’t scared anymore. He actually had a little bit of a smile on his face.
Fear God
When the Bible tells us to fear God, it’s referring to the awe and respect kind of fear. It’s like a child with a good, loving father. The child knows she is loved, but also knows not to disobey or disrespect their father. So, we are to love, obey, and respect God, knowing that He loves us and also wants us to obey Him. He is God.
Don’t Fear Man
When the Bible tells us not to fear man, it’s referring to the terrified kind of fear. It’s like the child facing a bully, but that child knowing his Dad is right there to protect and defend him.
When we fear man, it proves to be a snare. Our fear keeps us from speaking the God’s truth and from obeying God. We become terrified of what the world might do to us if we unashamedly follow Jesus.
However, we don’t have to fear the world. We can trust God. God is mightier and able to protect us and sustain us. He doesn’t tell us to do anything that isn’t for our own good. So, we can trust God’s ways and His promises.
Don’t Be Terrified of God
We don’t always trust God and we don’t always follow Him very well. That’s not good, but as those who have been called by God through the Gospel and made His children, we do not need to be terrified of Him. He may discipline us, but He does so to lead us to repentance. We can turn to Him in repentance any time and seek His mercy and know He will give it. He’s our good and loving father and we are His greatly beloved children.
Heavenly Father,
The world scares me sometimes. I know what I should do, but out of fear sometimes I don’t do it. Please forgive me. Help me not to fear man, but rather to trust You. I know You love me.
Amen.
PS – This passage is from Proverbs and we happened to have just had a great conversation about this passage in our Growth Group Bible study. Why don’t you join us this Friday for the Bible study on Zoom? I hope to see you there.
In Christ’s Service,
Pastor Kurt
