October 9, 2016 (Proverbs 29:25)

“Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe” (Prov 29:25).  In contrast to fear of God is a snare which plagues the present day Church, at least in highly industrialized countries like the United States. This snare is “fear of man” which manifests itself in quite obvious as well as subtle forms. There is blatant outward fear that has gun sales soaring as a form of protection. Security firms are thriving, installing various systems to detect if not prevent unwanted intrusions upon one’s life. Then there are those less obvious manifestations which express themselves in peer pressure to conform and be acceptable in the eyes of others. This afflicts professing believers to much the same extent as those who never darken a church door in terms of worldly behavior: for example, Rolex watches, luxury cars, designer handbags, fashionable dress, expensive dining, first-class travel, and an endless list of other self-indulgent and self-promoting practices. All of these point not only to greed which God calls idolatry (Colossians 3:5) but indicates fear of man in terms of worry about not being acceptable by the standards of others. Lost in such an outlook is concern as to how God views man’s behavior when people do as seems right in their own eyes. Yes, scripture does say man looks at the outward appearance while God looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7). And it is also true that when God looks at a heart, He is fully aware when fear of man is what drives a person to act as they do. And fear of man including what others think is not trusting in the LORD as a person’s source of security and safety. Bottom line? Fear of man makes an idol of others! Let us beware.