Are You Controlled By What Others Think About You?

Church Family:
Do you fear man more than you fear God? You may be asking, what is the fear of man? The fear of man is the tendency to adjust your life around the opinions and approval of others. The fear of man is being controlled by what others think about you. So, there are really two dimensions of the fear of man. You fear the rejection of others but you also require their approval.

In Nehemiah chapter 6, Nehemiah once again faces great opposition from people with great power and influence. They were powerful leaders from other nations and from within God’s own people. He was targeted by them with a very effective manipulation campaign to try to get him to stop doing God's work of completing the wall around Jerusalem. They used rumors, lies, manipulation, peer pressure, and even death threats. However, Nehemiah was steadfast in his desire to please God rather than those around him who were trying to get him to disobey God.

But wait, what if Nehemiah desired more to please these men rather than God? Well, he would have run quickly to them in submission to do what they demanded. He would have begged for their approval. He would have obsessed and lost sleep over the rumors that were spread against him. He would have been paralyzed by fear that these power players were believing the lies and rumors that were spread against him. He would have feared the death threats to the point of obeying the peer pressure to disobey God's law. He would have been so overwhelmed and discouraged by it all that he would have stopped doing what God had called him to do.

Do you live for God’s approval or other’s approval, for the glory of God or the glory of man? Do you let other’s opinion of you hold you back? Is your life defined by other people rather than God? Seek to know God and the sinful fear of man will be replaced with the life-giving fear of God. Look to God, not people, as omnipotent, glorious, transcendent and eternal. God will then become bigger and people will become smaller. When the fear of God rules over all your other fears, then every other sinful fear will eventually fade away. Fear of man will fade into a deep peace in God. Daily anxiety will fade into a daily stability in God. Daily worry will fade into a daily happiness in God. You will know and live out, "The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life..." (Prov. 14:27).

See you Sunday, with the Fountain of Life: Steve