The fear of man proves to be a snare, but whoever puts his trust in Yahweh is kept safe.
Proverbs 29:25 World English Bible
Snare - lure, bait - Strong’s Lexicon Hebrew 4170
A snare acts as a lure: to tempt, entice, attract, pull, draw, appeal, seduce, beguile, bewitch, ensnare. It is the bait of the enemy to entrap us through the appeal of this world, and the fear of man can ambush us at any turn. It intermingles with insecurity to try to define our own self worth. The enticement to belong, to fit in, to be a part of something, apprehends the lonely at heart.
As a society, we are bombarded by the standard of our culture to be beautiful, wrinkle free, muscular, wealthy, successful, resilient. Like a fragrance released at a department store counter, the scent of man’s opinion fills the air, defining our culture’s code of acceptance. If permitted, the aroma of worldly success lures us in by it’s seducing scent. Toxic, the fear of man can stir great anxiety within us once it is allowed to permeate our self-image. If the bait of it’s seduction is swallowed a standard is set, an image, an idol formed. Once we are ensnared, we live trapped by the fear of man, no longer free to be our true self, for we live with great anxiety to fulfill the dictates of men.
I have found the fear of man is learned throughout life experiences. Lessons come physically, mentally, and spiritually, enforcing the grip of fear. My upbringing was a continuous proving ground for the fear of man. There was unrest in my childhood home which eventually ended when my parents divorced. The turbulence at home was coupled with my schooling. During my twelve years of private education, I was taught the fear of man through the physical misuse of authority by those responsible for my education. Throughout these formative years, I witnessed my classmates disciplined by the smack of a ruler, the slap of a hand across a face, pointers broken over the head of the guilty, books from messy desks thrown across the room, chalk forcibly thrown at whispering students, chalkboard erasers flying through the air hitting the face of the unaware victim, the roar of angry voices, and last but not least: the humiliated student set over the teacher’s lap being spanked in front of the entire class. I never personally experienced these events; however, I did learn that performance was key to survival, and the lack of stellar behavior would cause havoc to erupt. Obviously, such physical discipline would be outlawed today, but it thrived during my childhood, teaching the fear of authority in a very unhealthy way. (Possibly, these factors may have helped to set the stage for my latter years, as I succumbed to being a victim of violence.)
The mental snare of the fear of man can be quite debilitating. Belittling criticism, anger, sarcasm, worry, doubt, insecurity, the fear of failure, can wear one raw with rejection. Such cords can wrap around us, holding us back from our true identity. Ensnared, our course becomes entangled by the fear of man. In worrying about what others think, or if they will accept us, we acquiesce regarding our identity, derailing our destiny.
The church can set a spiritual snare of rules and regulations through which the congregate must navigate making it difficult to find the love of God, for love evades the trap of religion. I would suspect, the accuser of the brethren delights in setting snares through the guise of religion trying to separate us from the love of God; however, we know there is NOTHING that can separate us from the love of the Father. Nothing!
The fear of man proves to be a hazard to our faith walk, for such fear is all about the flesh and not about the Spirit. As followers of Christ, we are called to fear God alone. Fear from the enemy brings torment. There is no torment in the fear of the Lord. The understanding to hold a reverent, healthy fear of the Lord brings a peaceful security - rest to our soul - as we trust in God and the fullness of His authority.
It is time we untangle ourselves from the fear of man, and step out of the trap of the adversary. Unknowingly, this trap becomes a ploy to encumber our walk in the Lord. By allowing the fear of man to ensnare us, an idol is established in our lives. For we are to fear God and not man. Being made aware of the duplicity of the snare, it is time to remove the idol. Step out of the confines of deception into the Truth, and fear God alone.
Prayer
Father,
Forgive me. I did not realize I had submitted to the fear of man thus making it an idol in my life. I have allowed such fear to shape me, identifying me, controlling my course. It has tripped me up more times than I can imagine. I have lived under the fear of man for so long, my identity has become distorted. Lord, I repent for fearing man and not fearing You. Forgive me, Father, as I forgive those who have helped to set a snare for me. I took the bait of the enemy, and allowed his words to ring true. I repent for taking the bait, and believing it. In the Name of Jesus, I break all agreement I made with the enemy, and remove the idol of the fear of man from my life, surrendering it to the Lord Jesus Christ. Take Your rightful place, Lord, in me. As I step out of the snare, please fill that newly untangled place with Your presence. Allow Your Word to light my path.
I acknowledge that I fear You God, and God alone. Set my course, as I trust in You - You will keep me safe. Heal me, Father, of any wrong the fear of man has brought to me over the years: physically, mentally, and spiritually. I take captive my every thought, and make it obedient to Christ. I am what I am by the grace of God. Through Jesus, I have been set free to be all Father God has created me to be. Fill me afresh, Holy Spirit, that I may walk out my destiny endued with the power of God - one step of faith at a time - snare free!
Bless me, Father, with the fear of the Lord. For...
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge… Proverbs 1:7a KJV
Empower me to keep from idols.
Little children, keep yourself from idols. 1 John 5:21 KJV
In the Name of Jesus, I pray.
Amen
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