Proverbs 29
June 13, 2013
- Proverbs 29:25 (NIV) 25 Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe.
Solomon warns us about a problem that ails us so often – peer pressure. So many of us are more worried about what people think about us that we will do whatever it takes to be in their good graces, even if what we have to do is wrong. To place people above God in our lives will turn out to be a noose around our neck, a snare, a trap that leads to death.
Sometimes the fear is not because you want people to like you but because you are worried about what they can do to you. Abraham lied about Sarah being his wife because he was fearful they would kill him. Peter denied Jesus because he was fearful of man and what would be the consequences of identifying with Him. But the New Testament tells us that we should worry less about what people can do to the body and worry more about the condition of our souls. (Matt. 10:28)
The truth is we need to put our trust in God. His opinion is the one we should be concerned about. Pleasing Him is what really matters in the long run. And we need not worry about what people can do to us, even if it is painful in the moment; God has a plan for our lives that is ultimately good, we should trust Him, even when the going is tough.