{"id":24928,"date":"2019-01-27T03:30:45","date_gmt":"2019-01-27T11:30:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lccredding.org\/church\/?p=24928"},"modified":"2019-01-25T14:05:22","modified_gmt":"2019-01-25T22:05:22","slug":"january-27-2019","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lccredding.org\/church\/2019\/01\/27\/january-27-2019\/","title":{"rendered":"January 27, 2019"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\u201cThe fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe.\u201d\u00a0<\/em>Proverbs 29:25<\/p>\n

The Fear of Man<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Being so concerned about what \u201cpeople\u201d think\u2014or will think, or what they\u2019ve thought in the past\u2014can be crippling! I\u2019ve been maimed by this malady on numerous occasions and unable to move forward. It\u2019s only natural for human beings to want\/need encouragement from our brothers and sisters; how I thank those who have urged me forward, prayed for me, and believed in what God is doing in me, but I think there\u2019s a thin line here, one that can only be discerned in the depths of our hearts before God.<\/p>\n

Besides the fear\u00a0<\/strong>of man bringing a snare, I\u2019d venture to say that the praise\u00a0<\/strong>of man might also bring a snare. When we need it so badly, when God\u2019s\u00a0<\/em>approval isn\u2019t enough for us, I think we\u2019ve crossed the line.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ll never forget the thrill I felt the first time I saw my name in print 30 years ago. It was a Christmas special section of the newspaper and my letter was chosen, along with many others, regarding our best Christmas. I was beyond excited (way, way, way\u00a0<\/em>beyond)! For a writer, or perhaps all of those who do something before the eyes of man, there will always be the temptation to get just a little too much enjoyment out of our own notoriety, micro-miniscule as it may be!<\/p>\n

These days, with so much social media, and so many ways to be recognized and noticed, the temptation is ever before us. We may find ourselves completely wrapped up in whether or not so-and-so \u201cliked\u201d my whatever. I remember when one of my relatives was nearly in tears because another family member hadn\u2019t \u201cliked\u201d her posts, while \u201cliking\u201d someone else\u2019s regularly. They were sure they were the black sheep of the family. Huh? My old fashioned brain just can\u2019t wrap itself around this!<\/p>\n

God is always teaching us to rely on His\u00a0<\/em>steadfast favor, since the praise of men can be fickle at best. Man\u2019s praise gets inside of us, trapping us with delusions of our own grandeur and worth. Any gift we have\u2014whether writing, teaching, hospitality, or anything else\u2014is from Him and for Him. If we are praised, we should deflect it back onto the One Who is truly, absolutely worthy of it.<\/p>\n

\u201cLord Jesus, You look into our hearts and see the struggles we face daily on this planet. You are for us not against us, our constant Encourager. Help us look to You, and You alone, for our daily bread of acceptance. Help us remember that in Your eyes we\u2019re already famously known and loved, and that is more than enough. Amen!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>

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