BY GREG CRUM
“The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe.” Proverbs 29:25
Here in Proverbs 29:25 we read that the fear of man “bringeth” a snare. If you were to read the ESV it would tell you that this fear “lays a snare.” The NIV states it “will prove to be a snare.” Friends, this is an ancient wisdom for our modern times if there ever was any! I can’t think of very many more important concepts for the modern believer to grasp than to grab a hold of the truth that this “fear of man” that the Bible speaks of is a potential prison for our souls to be avoided even at high cost.
So, the fear of man is a snare, but what does that mean? Well, this shouldn’t be a tough analogy for us to identify with in our hunting-happy area, right? Those of us who have grown up around here know that a snare is a hunter’s trap. It’s a device that he or she uses to capture prey. This device can be constructed in a variety of ways, but most all work to imprison the critter in question until the time that the hunter decides to come and retrieve it. With that understood, you can see how being on the wrong end of a snare is a very bad thing!
Now, let’s think about the first part of Proverbs 29:25. The fear of man. What does that mean? Does it mean we live in terror that men will physically harm us in some way? Does it mean undue or overdue reverence or respect for certain people (like hero worship)? Maybe, but maybe there’s another aspect of this “fear” that can also be a trap.
Maybe this “fear of man” is a fear of them not liking us, not accepting us, and not allowing us into their peer circle because of our beliefs in the Lord Jesus and because of our lifestyle as we pursue a relationship with Him. Yeah, think about how prominent that is in our time for a minute. This is a very real fear for many Christians today, right? They crave affirmation. They desperately need people to “like” them (on social media and in the flesh). It’s like so many today are stuck in a middle school mentality. They are forever standing with their food tray at the end of the food line in the cafeteria of life hoping the “cool kids” will let them sit at their table.
Brothers and sisters, the hope of that affirmation when we were children was a trap, and the hope of affirmation from man in our adult lives is just as much of a snare, if not more so! It’s a waste of energy, emotion, time, and focus. More importantly, it’s a chase that is leading so many away from their calling to be salt and light in this world.
I remember listening to a minister not too long ago speaking of the weakness of the modern American church. He talked about how ineffective we’ve become in shaping our culture. He spoke of the fear, the timidity, the cautiousness of Christians today when it comes to sharing our faith and living it out loud in the public arena. A lot of what he said made sense. We have given the world nothing to desire by our lifestyles. They see no real difference in us and them. There’s nothing for them to be envious of.
Why? Because the believers that are genuinely trying to walk the walk are cowed into silence and the ones that are speaking up are living just like them! They compromise, struggle, cut corners, cheat, steal, dabble in addictive things, curse, talk bad about others, complain, are sick, broke, just hanging by a thread—and to beat it all sometimes even bragging about these things on social media for all to see!
People, why would we think any unbeliever would want that? That’s what they already have! As disciples of Jesus, we must endeavor to show unbelievers that there is a difference in our lives because Jesus is our Lord. We need to begin to be vocal about this. We need to communicate to them that there is a change in us, and can be a change in them if they want it, but if we’re ever going to be bold enough to do that, we first have to be okay with being different, odd, not like them, perhaps even “weird.”
Will this cause you to be “unliked”? Odds are good, but it could also be just what the other side needs to see and hear in order to put their hope in Jesus as the Savior!
Greg Crum is the pastor of Calvary Temple in Lovely.