If you’re like me, you might think you don’t struggle with fear on a daily basis (though I will admit that I’m still afraid of the dark, but sshhh, don’t tell anyone.)  There is the obvious fear of harm, natural disasters, and other major events and trauma, but those probably aren’t on our mind daily.  There is one fear, however, that is so sneaky and subtle that we sometimes don’t even know it’s there.  It is the fear of man.  And I’m not talking about physical harm, etc., from man…I’m talking about the fear of someone being displeased with us, unhappy with us, rejecting us, not liking our choices or decisions, not liking our hobby, etc., etc; maybe even the fear of people not liking us, though that is not high on my personal list.  The fear of failure and what others might think of us can weigh heavily as well.  If we are fearing man in any, or many, of these ways we will never be who God created us to become.  We cannot live our lives trying to be all things to all people so everyone will be happy…  It just won’t work!

If we fear man, we aren’t fully trusting God.  We allow people to be bigger than God in our life.  We become controlled by the fear of man without even realizing it.  It can, and will,  paralyze our spiritual life, our decisions, our creativity, every aspect of who we are, to the point that we completely lose ourselves as individuals.  A few years ago a counselor asked me what my favorite color was and I had so completely lost who I was, who God created me to be, that I sat in tears not even being able to answer the question.

Sweet friend, I am not suggesting a self-focused, self-absorbed, self-satisfying life for you or me, and I’m also hoping that we never live a life of people-pleasing…it will suck the life out of us.  I am, however, suggesting that if you struggle with any of these fears (and please be honest with yourself) that you look to Jesus as your Lord and Savior and make your relationship with Him your priority.  John Ortberg, in his book Soul Keeping, says “If your soul is healthy, no external circumstance can destroy your life.  If your soul is unhealthy, no external circumstance can redeem your life.”  Living with the fear of man is most definitely not living with a healthy soul.  A healthy soul is in tune with God, spending time in His word and in prayer.  In order to have a healthy soul, we must be connected to God and to His people.  We must be walking with a body of believers in order to be connected to His people.  Our help comes from the Lord.  He is our only hope for a healthy soul and a balanced life.

Please friend, if you struggle with the fear of man or living as a people~pleaser and you want someone to talk to who knows your struggles, message me and let’s talk.  There is hope in Him.   Psalm 121 says, “I lift up my eyes to the hills.  From where does my help come?  My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.  He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber.  Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.  The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand.  The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.  The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life.  The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.”

I also would like to recommend you read When People are Big, and God is Small, by Edward T. Welch.  The truths in his book will help to set you free from living in the fear of man.

Blessings, friend ~

For more encouragement in your walk with the Lord, visit the links below.  You’ll be glad you did.

http://arabahjoy.com

http://rebekahmhallberg.com

http://adivineencounter.com

http://www.dawnklinge.com