ThroughSample

We all fear something. Some fear heights, while others fear spiders, confined spaces, or snakes. Some of our fears are justified, while others aren’t. Fear, when allowed to run rampant in our lives, can be completely debilitating. There’s one type of fear, though, which seems to be common to all of us and is perhaps the most destructive – the fear of man.

From an early age, we seek approval. As babies, we mimic the smiles of those who ooh and aah over us, and we soon learn the visual cues of what constitutes approval. This repeats itself throughout our childhood and into adulthood. We become experts at covering over the doubts and fears we harbour about our own weaknesses, and we paper over all the cracks in our egos, desperately hoping that others won’t see through us. Reputation becomes all, and we become experts at dressing up the idealised version of ourselves, which we put out to the world, in the hope that we’ll be acceptable and that we’ll be loved.

But what happens when this illusion comes crashing down? When our carefully placed facades are seen for what they are – then who are we really? In the harsh light of our exposure, the fear of what others might say about us becomes all too real. This age of instant communication through social media, the mainstream media, cell phones, and computers means that news travels fast, and it seems that bad news travels the fastest.

Perhaps you’ve experienced this. It may be that the place you now find yourself is because of an affair. A broken marriage. The money you took, hoping to pay it back before anyone found out. An addiction you couldn’t break. A comment you posted on social media, which gained a life of its own, and you’ve now been humiliated. Or you may have been retrenched, lost your home, and now have to face the prospect of giving up the lifestyle to which you’ve become accustomed. In each of these situations, and countless others, the fear of what others will say or think is horrifyingly real. We dread checking social media for what might be out there, and even a visit to the local store becomes an ordeal, as we hope not to bump into anyone who knows us.

So, what to do with this fear? The good news is that the Bible has so many repetitions of the command “Do not fear” that a well-known poster says there’s one for every day of the year.

When fear threatens to crush our very existence, as it inevitably will during our time in the wilderness, it may have one positive outcome. It may drive us closer to the one from whom we don’t have to run, the one who promises to uphold us and who constantly reminds us not to fear. Our lives may seem ever smaller – that’s certainly what it feels like some days, as we struggle to get through each hour. Things which seemed so important in the past now appear irrelevant and frivolous. But that’s just the place we’ll meet God and know His strength and faithfulness.

This isn’t easy, as most of us spend our lives seeking the affirmation of others. We construct an elaborate persona of our ‘best self’, carefully covering over the imperfections with all our achievements, qualifications, positions in society and in our family, and through the personal image we present to the world. But as those illusions are challenged and attacked, we may start to recognise the real person we are – the ‘you’ God has known since before you were born, and the ‘you’ God loves even now.

Some thoughts to ponder:

• How has the 'fear of man' impacted you?
• How do you think God sees you when all the layers of the 'false self' are peeled away?