Overcoming the Fear of People
Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.
Proverbs 29:25
The early Christians were fearless, as evidenced by the record of their adventures in Acts. On one occasion Luke observed, “After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly” (4:31). Boldness is the mark of a Spirit-filled Christian. “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline” (2 Timothy 1:7). We surrender control of our lives to any fear object we elevate above God. But if we fear the Lord, we have self-control. Fearing God is an act of worship, because we are recognizing the supremacy of Him above all others.
Jesus said, “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28). Saul, the first king of Israel, sinned because he was afraid of the people and gave in to them (see 1 Samuel 15:24). The 12 spies Moses sent into Canaan discovered it to be a fruitful land, but 10 of them gave a bad report because they feared the people who lived there. They said, “We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them” (Numbers 13:33). Fear had distorted what they saw, but Joshua and Caleb had the right perspective: “Do not rebel against the Lord. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will devour them. Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with us” (14:9).
No one denies that people can do incredible emotional and physical harm to each another, but we should not give another human being the right to determine who we are. We are children of God, and only He has the right to decide who we are—and who we are meant to become. The fear of man will compromise our witness, and we will end up trying to please others and fail to please God. Paul said, “If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ” (Galatians 1:10).
A servant of Christ will seek to do that which is good. Peter asked, “Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good?” (1 Peter 3:13). The unfortunate truth is that some may seek to harm us, but that cannot alter who we are, nor should that fear control us. “But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. ‘Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened.’ But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord” (verses 14-15).
Fear of man is the primary reason why we often fail to share our faith. It is an irrational fear, because it is not based in truth. The truth is we are called to be witnesses, and those who are lost need to know the truth that will save them. But many may not hear the gospel message if we allow the fear of man to control our lives. The only way to overcome the fear of man is to feel the fear, but do the right thing anyway. If we do the thing we fear the most, the death of an irrational fear is certain.
questions to consider:
Why is boldness the mark of a Spirit-filled Christian? Why do those who fear God above everything else have such boldness?
How does the fear of man influence our perspective? How does the fear of God influence our perspective?
In what ways does the fear of man compromise our witness for Christ? How does such fear rob us of our identity?
Who right now is controlling your actions because you fear him or her and why?
What power do you allow others to exert over your life?