When we take the fear of man out of the equation, we will be able to serve the Lord with our whole heart.
Fear. It’s a strong emotion that we all, unfortunately, have experienced at one time or another. The online dictionary defines fear as “an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat.” The definition alone evokes strong feelings.
Fear manifests in response to our perception of a situation, real or imagined. If we were to look back at all the situations we’ve feared, we might discover that a majority of them were imagined. I also wonder if we were to take inventory of those fearful situations, how many instances were there where a person struck fear in us? I don’t mean being held at gunpoint or a physical threat, but the insidious ways the root of our fear actually comes from man.
As believers, we must know that Satan loves to use this tactic to stop us from serving the Lord. Whether it be comparison, concern about what others think, fear of uncomfortableness, or even harm, we can become paralyzed to the Lord’s work when we fear man more than God.
In the story of Moses, we see a situation where the fear of man was greater than the fear of God: “Then Moses said, 'What if they will not believe me or listen to what I say?... Then Moses said to the Lord, 'Please, Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither recently nor in time past, nor since You have spoken to Your servant; for I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.' The Lord said to him, 'Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes him mute or deaf, or seeing or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now then go, and I, even I, will be with your mouth, and teach you what you are to say.' But he said, 'Please, Lord, now send the message by whomever You will.'”
Here we see that even though the Lord said He would be with Him and give Him the ability and the words to speak, Moses was more concerned about what the people might say or do than what God said He would do. How often do we do that?
Let’s look at how to overcome our fear of man so we can continue to grow spiritually and serve the Lord in God’s strength and power.
The Trap of Comparison
In this age of social media influencers, the trap of comparison is at an all-time high, especially for women. When we see a beautiful influencer sharing her fashion, hair, and makeup ideas, we want to look just like her. I saw a picture yesterday of a group of women standing outside of a venue, and they all looked the same, right down to their light-wash barrel jeans and black tops. The caption read, “Gen-Z’ers don’t know how to dress for themselves anymore”. Between hair extensions and lip fillers, there is no individuality. We look at ourselves in the mirror and become dissatisfied when we compare ourselves to influencers. We feel inadequate and set out to copy their look in the hopes that we will somehow feel better about ourselves, but do we?
Falling into the trap of comparison doesn’t just happen superficially. It can also lure us in when it comes to our abilities to perform a task. We may feel inadequate, much like Moses did, and choose to say no to an opportunity. In the Kingdom of God, saying no to a position because we feel someone is better for the job is saying no to the work God chose specifically for us to do before the world began.
Ephesians 2:10 says, "For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." God created us with specific giftings and purposes to fulfill in His Kingdom. We are uniquely created for the task. There is no one else to complete that work. Therefore, we shouldn’t be comparing ourselves to others if we feel called to do something for the Lord. We are the only ones God has in mind to fulfill that calling. Not only that, but He will help us accomplish it. “Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6).
You might be asking, how is comparing ourselves to others being fearful of man? We are essentially fearing ourselves. We are “trusting” in our own lack of ability, which leads to comparison with someone we feel is better suited for the role. Worse yet, we haven’t invited God into our plans.
The next time you feel the Holy Spirit nudging you to a calling, obey. Don’t fall into the trap of comparison, don’t look at your own abilities, but look to the One who has already gifted you for the job and will guide you in all strength and power.
The Lure of People-Pleasing
People-pleasing is something many people struggle with. It comes from a desire to please others over self. You might say, well, doesn’t the Bible say, "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility, value others above yourselves" (Philippians 2:3)? Indeed, we are instructed in this. However, for some people, the root of people-pleasing comes from an unhealthy place within. They end up hurting themselves rather than being blessed.
A people-pleaser fears man’s response if they don’t do what they are asked, concerned that the other person will no longer like them or view them as less than. This can happen a lot in church settings, where a people-pleaser always says yes when asked to do something, even if it doesn’t make regarding schedules or spiritual gifts. As a result, they may become bitter, and the work they are doing in the church is more of an act of resentment than a sacrificial service from the heart.
Before serving the Lord in any capacity, ask yourself what your motive is behind the yes. Is it coming from a place of people-pleasing or a genuine desire to serve? When we take the fear of man out of the equation, we will be able to serve the Lord with our whole heart.
The Uncomfortableness of Opposition
Unfortunately, conflict can be an inevitable part of life, especially as believers. Let me explain:
Whether it be unbelieving neighbors or co-workers, we might find ourselves in a conversation where we are called to defend the Lord and Christianity. Yet, how many of us back down from that conversation due to the discomfort of opposition? We are more concerned about our relationships with our neighbors and co-workers than speaking up for the One who suffered and died on the cross for us.
Or we might find ourselves on an opposing side regarding a church decision, yet rather than be uncomfortable in the opposition, we stay quiet, even though what we have to offer is sound and biblical.
Rather than speak up in Christian love, we are allowing the fear of man to silence us. Ephesians 4:15 says, "Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ." When we speak the truth in love, we will not only grow individually, but, especially when employed in a church setting, we will grow to maturity as the Body of Christ.
There is no reason to fear man with God on our side.
"The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?" Psalm 118:6
Photo Credit: ©Unsplash/Joice Kelly
