Fear of Man!

Live for God's approval, not Man's Opinion

The fear of what others might think, say, or do is one of the most subtle yet powerful forces that can derail our walk with God. It creeps into our hearts quietly, disguising itself as wisdom, caution, or social awareness. Yet the Bible calls it exactly what it is: a snare. "The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe" (Proverbs 29:25 KJV). This verse presents us with two paths—one leads to bondage, the other to safety. The choice is ours.

The Snare of People-Pleasing

When we are more concerned about pleasing people than pleasing God, we become ensnared by our own fears. We modify our behaviour, compromise our convictions, and silence our testimony—all to avoid disapproval, rejection, or confrontation. This is not the life Christ called us to. Jesus warned His disciples, "Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets" (Luke 6:26 KJV). If we are living for the approval of everyone, we are likely compromising the truth.

The fear of man manifests in countless ways. It causes us to remain silent when we should speak. It leads us to participate in things we know are wrong. It makes us abandon biblical convictions to fit in with the crowd. It keeps us from sharing the gospel because we fear being mocked or rejected. In every case, the fear of man places human opinion above divine truth.

Peter's Warning Example

Even the apostle Peter, a pillar of the early church, struggled with this fear. After boldly preaching on the day of Pentecost and leading thousands to Christ, Peter later compromised his convictions because he feared the opinions of certain Jewish believers. Paul had to confront him publicly, saying, "But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed" (Galatians 2:11 KJV).

What had Peter done? He had been eating with Gentile believers, demonstrating the unity of the body of Christ. But when certain men from James arrived, Peter withdrew and separated himself, fearing what they might think of his association with Gentiles. His fear of man caused him to act hypocritically, denying the very gospel of grace he had preached. It took Paul's bold correction to bring him back to the truth.

If Peter could fall into this snare, so can we. None of us are above the temptation to please people rather than God. That is why we must remain vigilant and accountable.

Our True Audience

We must remember that our ultimate accountability is to God, not to people. Paul wrote, "For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ" (Galatians 1:10 KJV). This is a defining statement. We cannot serve two masters. We cannot simultaneously seek God's approval and man's approval when they are in conflict.

The Lord reminded Samuel of this truth when He said, "The LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7 KJV). People judge by external standards—appearance, success, popularity, eloquence. But God looks at the heart. He sees our motives, our faith, our obedience. When we live for God's approval rather than people's, we are freed from the exhausting and impossible task of pleasing everyone.

Biblical Examples of Freedom

The Bible is filled with examples of men and women who refused to be controlled by the fear of man. Daniel continued to pray three times a day even when he knew it would cost him a night in the lions' den. He said by his actions, "I will not compromise my devotion to God for the approval of men" (Daniel 6:10-13 KJV). The three Hebrew children—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—refused to bow to Nebuchadnezzar's golden image, declaring, "We are not careful to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up" (Daniel 3:16-18 KJV).

These men were not reckless. They were courageous. They had settled in their hearts that God's approval mattered more than the king's threats. Their freedom from the fear of man gave them boldness to stand for truth regardless of the consequences.

The Cost of Compromise

What happens when we give in to the fear of man? We lose our testimony. We grieve the Holy Spirit. We embolden others to compromise. And we miss out on God's blessing. Jesus said, "Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels" (Mark 8:38 KJV).

The fear of man is ultimately a lack of fear of God. When we forget who God is—His holiness, His authority, His omniscience—we naturally begin to fear people instead. But when we remember that "it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God" (Hebrews 10:31 KJV), the opinions of people fade in comparison.

Walking in Freedom

So how do we break free from the fear of man?

First, we must cultivate a healthy fear of God. "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom" (Proverbs 9:10 KJV). When we understand who God is and live in awe of Him, the fear of man loses its power over us.

Second, we must trust in the Lord completely. The second half of Proverbs 29:25 KJV promises that "whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe." Our safety, security, and significance come from God alone, not from the approval of others.

Third, we must remember that we will stand before God's judgment seat, not man's. Paul wrote, "So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God" (Romans 14:12 KJV). On that day, it will not matter what anyone else thought of us. All that will matter is whether we were faithful to Him.

A Call to Courage

Believer, the Lord is calling you to courage. He is calling you to live for His approval alone. Stop asking, "What will they think?" and start asking, "What does God think?" Stop modifying your convictions to fit in and start standing firm on His Word. The fear of man brings a snare, but trust in the Lord brings safety, peace, and the joy of obedience.

Will people always understand? No. Will some reject you? Probably. But remember the words of Jesus: "Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven" (Matthew 5:11-12 KJV).

Live for an audience of One. Walk in the freedom that comes from fearing God rather than man. And watch as the Lord proves Himself faithful to those who trust in Him…

Key Takeaways:

• The fear of man is a snare that leads to compromise, silence, and bondage (Proverbs 29:25 KJV)
• People-pleasing and God-pleasing are incompatible—you cannot serve both (Galatians 1:10 KJV)
• Even Peter fell into this trap, compromising truth to avoid criticism (Galatians 2:11 KJV)
• Biblical heroes like Daniel and the three Hebrew children chose God's approval over man's threats
• Our ultimate accountability is to God alone—we will give account to Him, not people (Romans 14:12 KJV)
• The fear of man is ultimately a lack of fear of God—when we fear God rightly, man's opinion loses its power
• Freedom comes through trust—those who trust in the Lord are safe (Proverbs 29:25 KJV)
• Live for an audience of One—Christ's approval is all that matters on judgment day