Proverbs 29:25
Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe.
Matthew 10:28
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.
One of the biggest obstacles to following God is the fear of man. It crops up in the adult child who agonizes about going on a mission trip because his parents want him to grow up and get a real job. We see it in the teenager who ignores her parents' counsel because she doesn't want to be ridiculed by her peers. Or in the silence from the corporate employee who doesn't report unethical behavior for fear of losing his job. In each scenario presented, the desire to please people is stronger than the desire to please God.
Proverb 29:25 and Matthew 10:28 forcefully remind us that the fear of man, being directed by the need to get man's approval, is a trap. We are directed to fear the one who controls our destiny not only in this life, but in the life to come.
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