Proverbs 29:25 reads - Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe. That word snare in the Hebrew is moquesh - it means a trap or a hook like in a bulls noise in which he is easily guided by! Do you feel trapped in a snare? Easily pulled around by what people will think of you?
Becoming obsessed with what people think is the quickest way to forget what God thinks!
Then Saul said to Samuel, "I have sinned. I violated the Lord's command and your instructions. I was afraid of the people and so I gave in to them. 1 Sam 15:24-25
Then there's the outward pressure! Criticism! People say things like "Oh you go to church now, so you must be better than us! or Why you gotta pray so much? Why are you always helping people?" The criticism kicks in and we start re-evaluating what were doing! We have to remember this hatred towards doing the right thing isn't something new.
"If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you… If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also… John 15:18-20
When you decide to be a follower of Jesus, be prepared for the junk talkers. If you're ready for it, don't let it be such a shock to you. Tell those people around you, "I kind of knew this was going to happen, I was prepared for you to be mean to me."
I'm more worried when people aren't talking junk about me then when they are. I must be to normal and they think I'm just like them. I don't want that to happen! I want to be like Jesus!
Jesus said it best in Matt 5:10-12 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Remember you can't please everyone! Just take a second and say that. I can't please everyone, but I can please God!
Our purpose is to please God, not people. 1 Thess 2:4 NLT
Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe. Prov 29:25
People are more concerned about people thinking they're weird than they are with their sinful actions! This comes from caring more about what people think and less about what God thinks! It is truly a path to destruction!
Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ. Gal 1:10
Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not confess their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved praise from men more than praise from God. John 12:42-43
Maybe you haven't completely given yourself to God for fear of what people will think. I encourage you today to stop worrying what people think and step up for God! Let today be the day that changes your life, step up for God, you can't please everybody, but you can surely please God!
Great blog, Al. Looking for acceptance and validation from others is definitely "a snare". It traps you into a limited existence where you must always worry about what others think. When we get our acceptance and validation from Father God we then can accept ourselves the way we are. Once we have accepted ourselves, then we can accept others and encourage them to also get their acceptance and validation from Father God. Thereby, not only do we grow but we help others grow in relationship to the Creator. If you like me or don't like me does not affect me. You are not my Creator, God is. He made me, you didn't. You are not my Savior. At the end of the day, your opinion really doesn't matter when I have His opinion. If you like me it is a bonus, but I do not need your approval. Keep blogging, I enjoyed reading this one!
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