Fear itself

Proverbs Chapter 29 verse 25 says " Trembling at men is what lays a snare, but he that is trusting in Jehovah will be protected. "

With these words the ancient proverb alerts us to the kind of fear that is indeed a mental poison, the fear of man. It is likened to a snare. Why? Because a small animal, like a rabbit, is helpless when it is caught in a snare. It wants to run away, but the snare holds it relentlessly. The victim is, in effect, paralyzed.

If we are seized by the fear of man, we are a lot like that rabbit. We may know what we should do. We may even want to do it. But fear holds us in thrall. We are paralyzed and unable to act.

What can we do to change that kind of fear? How can we overcome it? By replacing it with a much more wholesome fear. The fear of God. What do I mean? Because fear of God is not the abject, paralyzing fear that grips people in some situations. It is the kind of fear that a child may feel for his father, even though he loves his father and knows that his father loves him.

Fear of God is really a profound reverence for the Creator that stems from the realization that he is the complete embodiment of righteousness, justice, wisdom, and love. It involves a healthy dread of displeasing God because he is the Supreme Judge with the power to reward and to punish.

God’s love is not something to be taken for granted, nor is his judgment something to be downplayed. We should remember, however, that while Jehovah has the power to punish those not obeying him—and has often done so—he is by no means bloodthirsty or cruel. He is really a God of love, even though he, like a loving parent, sometimes gets righteously angry. That is why fearing him is wholesome. It leads us to obey his laws, which are designed for our good. Obeying God’s laws brings happiness, while disobeying them always brings bad results.

How does the fear of God help us to overcome fear of man? Well, people may mock us or even persecute us for doing what is right, which puts pressure on us. But a respectful fear of God will put pressure on us to stick to a right course, since we do not want to displease him. Moreover, a love of God will urge us to do what brings pleasure to his heart. Additionally, we remember that God rewards us richly for doing what is right, which makes us love him all the more and makes us want to do his will. Hence, a balanced view of God helps us to overcome any fear we may have of men.

For example, many are pressured into doing what is wrong because of fear of what their peers think. Young people at school may smoke, use bad language, boast of sexual experience (real or imagined), and even experiment with alcohol or drugs. Not always because they want to, but because they are afraid of what their peers would say if they acted differently. To a teenager, mockery and ridicule may be as hard to endure as physical persecution.

An adult may also feel pressure to do wrong. Perhaps the boss at work will tell an employee to inflate a bill to a client or to fill out a company tax form dishonestly so as to reduce the tax liability. The Christian may feel that if he does not obey, he will lose his job. Thus, fear of man may pressure him to do what is wrong.

In both cases, a healthy fear of God and respect for his commands would prevent the Christian from being paralyzed by fear of man. And a love of God would restrain him from engaging in acts that God has forbidden. Moreover, his faith in God would assure him that if he acted according to his Bible-trained conscience, God would support him no matter what the outcome. The apostle Paul expressed his faith with these words: “For all things I have the strength by virtue of him who imparts power to me.”

Satan the Devil is doing all he can to pressure us into displeasing God. True Christians should therefore have the same determination as that expressed by the apostle Paul when he wrote: “We are not the sort that shrink back to destruction, but the sort that have faith to the preserving alive of the soul.” The fear of Jehovah is a real source of strength. With its help, may we “be of good courage and say: Jehovah is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?’” found at Hebrews chapter 13 verse 6.

I recall that in the beginning, I was afraid to tell others that I was a witness. I felt as if my so-called friends would make fun of me. I was afraid to go door to door because I didn't know what was on the other side of the door or if my friends would see me. Fear of man. Towards the end of every year there is Thanksgiving and Christmas. In the beginning I was afraid to tell my boss that I was a witness but I did. I fumbled my words but I was able to explain to him why. I was very scared.

Today, although I do have fear at times which I don't believe will go away in this system. I don't have fear of man. I don't fear what they will do to me. I have more fear of displeasing Jehovah. I had to take a stand and I did. In the end it worked out. It always does and that's how I looked at things. When you do what is right and can say Jehovah is my helper. Then you can't go wrong. Never be afraid of what you can lose. Life is much more important than Material. Store up treasures in Heaven....