Courage for Resisting the 'Fear of Man'

Kathy Collard Miller's focus on the believer's identity in Christ has helped her navigate many issues in life, and she encourages others in that journey as well. In this Biblical Thinking UPGRADE, she encourages trust in God's love and concern for us rather than getting caught up in what others think—the "fear of man.""I suffer from the 'fear of man,' Kathy says. "Proverbs 29:25 says, 'The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe' (ESV)."

I (Dawn) am sure every one of us has been caught in that snare at some time in life, and some people have a greater tendency to get caught. It takes courage and intentionality to fight against the destructive fear of man.

Kathy continues . . .

I was recently surprised to find some powerful wisdom in Isaiah 51:12-13 (ESV) for fighting the fear of man.

Those verses say:

   I, I am he who comforts you;
       who are you that you are afraid of man who dies,
       of the son of man who is made like grass,
    and have forgotten the Lord, your Maker,
       who stretched out the heavens
       and laid the foundations of the earth,
    and you fear continually all the day
       because of the wrath of the oppressor,
    when he sets himself to destroy?
       And where is the wrath of the oppressor?

The fear of man—who may feel like an “oppressor”—comes from thinking other people are the best source of what we need.

In verse 12, God says He offers comfort to us. The Hebrew word “comfort” has the idea of expressing sympathy.

Quite often when we fear the opinions of "man," we are looking for understanding, approval, and affirmation from others.

When people seem to come through for us, we feel “comforted” in knowing we are a person of value.

How can we resist that snare and trust God instead based on Isaiah 51:12-13?

Truths to Consider

1. The comfort from other people is temporary, but God’s is eternal.

Someone may offer us what we want, but the next time she may fail us. Only God’s opinion of us never changes.

2. Only God is wise enough to truly know what we need.

If God wisely and powerfully created us, He knows our real, valid needs. He provided the demonstration of Jesus dying on the cross for our sins when we don’t deserve it. No one else can do that for us.

Ephesians 1:3-14 offers the fullest, most concise identifiers of believers in the Bible. God says because of our inheritance through Christ, we are identified as blameless, forgiven, blessed, holy, redeemed, loved, chosen, predestined, conformed, secure and other declarations of who we are in His view of us.

3. Recognize how the fear of man creates stress.

Living in God’s love brings love, joy, peace, and other fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).

4. What we fear usually isn’t as bad as we anticipate.

In effect, God says through Isaiah, “Is it really as bad as you anticipated?” Sometimes it does feel as horrible, but when we see how God wants to affirm our worth and value, we can also see how we grow from the challenge.

Early in my marriage to Larry, I was afraid of his displeasure. I carefully tried to evaluate his every reaction and then change my behavior based on what I assumed he was “telling me.”

In time, I read about the “fear of man” and was convicted of putting Larry’s opinion of me higher than God’s.

One day, Larry seemed irritated. I boldly asked, “Larry, you look angry. Are you mad at me?”

He looked surprised and replied, “Do I? No, I’m not mad at you. I was thinking about work.”

From that day on, I learned to ask instead of assume.

Here are some practical suggestions for diminishing the fear of man.

• Memorize and meditate on Isaiah 51:12-13.
• Ask yourself exactly what it is you fear.
• Make a list of your inheritance in Christ as Ephesians 1:3-14 defines you. Put it in several prominent places in your home and work space.
• Forgive others who respond to you out of their own hurt and pain. Their reaction says nothing about how valuable you are and how loved you are by God.

How can you more effectively allow God to comfort you instead of a person’s opinion of you?

Kathy Collard Miller has long depended on her identity in Christ to grow in resisting the snare of the fear of man. God has used His journey for her through His opportunities to write over 60 books, speak in 9 countries and over 30 US states. One of her newer books is Pure Hearted: The Blessings of Living Out God’s Glory where she expands on knowing our identity in Christ. Kathy and her husband, Larry, of 52 years, are parents, grandparents, lay counselors, and live in Boise, Idaho. Visit her at KathyCollardMiller.com.

Graphic adapted, courtesy of Pexels at Pixabay.

7 Steps—Replace Fretting with Peace

Joanie Shawhan, a cancer survivor and registered nurse, understands how anxiety can take charge and make us lose peace. In this Peace UPGRADE, she focuses on a special psalm that gives solid counsel for replacing fretting and returning to a place of peace in the Lord."Once again, a friend of mine chided me for fretting as I raged about the pervasive evil I saw in the world today," Joanie said. “This is not your circus. These are not your monkeys.”

Oh, how I (Dawn) understand that! How often I have taken on issues and burdens the Lord never intended me to carry. I'm reminded of the old hymn that says, "Oh, what peace we often forfeit..." Joanie explains how we can stop forfeiting our peace.

Joanie continues . . .

All of these circumstances in the world were beyond my control and out of the realm of my influence. Where was the God of Justice?

I had become stuck in a rut of fretting.

A rut rooted in the fear of the future that I had dug through anxiety and worry.

Living in Wisconsin, I’m familiar with ruts. Our wheels spin on snowy roads and create furrows that refuse to disappear until the snow melts.

Ruts become dangerous obstacles that can easily throw us off course.

My pattern of fretting had derailed me. It distracted me from God’s purpose and robbed me of peace. I listened to the voices of the world yammering in my ears and forgot to listen for the voice of the Holy Spirit.

But God reminded me: Do not fret—it leads only to evil (Psalm 37:8 NIV).

I needed a course correction.

How could I avoid the rut of fretting and restore peace?

God offered me a roadmap to peace.

Seven principles from Psalm 37

1. Do Not Fret (v. 1).

According to Scripture, fretting leads only to evil. If I want to follow Jesus and turn away from evil, I need to steer clear of the habitual patterns of agitation and anger that deepen the rut of fretting.

Jesus has called me to walk in righteousness and make right choices through faith in Him.

And this righteousness will bring peace. Yes, it will bring quietness and confidence forever (Isaiah 32:17 NLT).

2. Trust in the Lord (v. 3).

God is faithful and trustworthy even when I don’t understand His plan. My fears and anxiety do not change who He is. They only rob me of my ability to see Him as He is—my loving Father who is constant in His care for me.

Sometimes trust is a choice.

But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you (Psalm 56:3 NLT).

3. Do Good (v. 3).

In spite of the evil churning around me, God’s Word tells me to never get tired of doing good (Galatians 6:9-10 NLT).

Even in the face of adversity, I’m called to love and serve others in humility.

He also commands me to pray for my enemies and those who may do me harm.

4. Delight in the Lord (v. 4).

To delight in the Lord, I must focus on who God is, on His power and majesty. When my eyes are turned toward the Lord, I can’t focus on myself, my circumstances, and those situations that rob my peace.

Delighting in the Lord comes with a promise.

The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him (Psalm 37:23 NIV).

5. Commit Your Way to the Lord (v. 5).

God is the one who will order my steps. My days are in His hands.

Even when the evil is personal or I feel betrayed, God is the one who will vindicate me.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take (Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT).

6. Be Still Before the Lord (v. 7).

Sometimes I’m so busy grumbling and complaining that I neglect to listen. I’ve discovered that when I’m quiet and still, I’m more apt to hear the voice of the Lord.

His voice and His presence will restore my peace by reminding me of who He is.

Be still, and know that I am God (Psalm 46:10 NIV).

7. Wait Patiently for Him (v. 7)

Patience is not my virtue. I want to rush God, especially when he takes longer to answer my prayers than I would like.

But I need to remember God is not finished yet.

For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him! (Isaiah 30:18b NIV).

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things (Philippians 4:8 NIV).

By following God’s words of wisdom, I can avoid the dangerous rut of fretting.

What ruts of fretting rob your peace?

Joanie Shawhan shares true-life stories, offering her reader an eyewitness view of the action. Her Selah Awards Finalist book, In Her Shoes: Dancing in the Shadow of Cancer, reflects the value of “Your story plus my story become our stories.” An ovarian cancer survivor and registered nurse, Joanie speaks to medical students in the Survivors Teaching Students program. She co-founded an ovarian cancer social group: The Fried Eggs—Sunny-Side Up. Publishing credits include: Guideposts Divine Interventions, Snapshots of Hope & Heart, Wit, Whimsy & Wisdom, Life Repurposed, and We May Be Done But We’re Not Finished. Follow Joanie at www.joanieshawhan.com.

Graphic adapted, courtesy of Anne Nygård at Unsplash.