Sun, 11 Feb 2018 09:27:58 +0000
By Pastor Jasper Mutale
“DO NOT be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matt 10:28)
One of the Bible’s dominant questions is, Whom will you fear (need, be controlled by)? Will you fear God or people? Scripture gives three basic reasons why we fear other people, and we will look at each one of them in turn.
We fear people because they can expose and Humiliate us. One reason we fear other people is that they can expose or humiliate us. Immediately after the sin of Adam and Eve, “the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked” (Gen 3:7) This is the debut of the fear of other people. Shame consciousness. Shame from being victimised or sinned against: Throughout human spiritual history, a second form of shame emerged. It was the result of being sinned against, victimized or dishonoured by others. For example: Gen 34:5; Prov 19:26 and Ps.79. Victims feel embarrassed, humiliation, and disgrace because of the sins of others against them. They feel unclean, naked and without access to covering, and they fear people. But, theologically there is a big difference between the two. Sin-shame is something we bring on ourselves; victimization-shame is done to us. Everyone has the experience of sin-shame, but not everyone has this shame intensified by victimization-shame.
Shame, and its feeling of disgrace before God and others, surfaces in our culture as low self-esteem, with its feelings of worthlessness. Shame and low self-esteem are both rooted in Adam’s sin. They both are governed by the perceived opinions of others, and they both involve “not feeling good about ourselves.” The only difference is that our word “shame” still retains the idea that we are ashamed before God as well as before other people, while self-esteem is seen as strictly a problem between ourselves and other people, or a problem just within ourselves. Low self-esteem is a pop version of biblical shame or nakedness. It is secularised shame.
America seems to have concluded that low self-esteem is the root of every problem. When I attended my first PTA meeting, I was informed that the chief objective of the elementary school my daughter was attending was to bolster self-esteem – and the parents gave a rousing ovation. Everyone believed that the core problem of childhood was being addressed.
In the early 1800s, Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard observed people whose lives consisted of hiding and spying. Rather than walls, they used masks: “Do you not know that there comes a midnight hour when everyone has to throw off his mask? Do you think you can slip away a little before midnight to avoid this?”
He is right. Putting on our masks is a regular part of our morning ritual, just like brushing our teeth and eating breakfast. The masquerade, however, is anything but festive. Underneath the masks are people who are terrified that there will be an unveiling. And, indeed, the masks and other coverings will one day be removed. There will be an eternal unveiling. But it is not so much the eyes of other people that we ought to fear. After all, other people are no different from ourselves. Kierkegaard points to a deeper fear: the eyes of God. If the gaze of man awakens fear in us, how much more so the gaze of God. If we feel exposed by people, we will feel devastated before God.
The answer is simple: Remember that in Jesus’ death, resurrection and ascension, through faith He has covered you with righteous robes. He has removed your shame. This might be the only liberating teaching that the fearful person needs. However I have found that there are many times when a solution to personal problems need more. For example: Do I love others in the name of Jesus, or am I more interested in protecting myself from them? How can I think less – as in less often – about myself?
some few questions to think about Zambia. If you still have a hard time seeing the fear of other people, consider ways that your private life is different from your public life. Are there sins that you can easily confess to God, but would be very difficult to share with another person? Are there things about yourself that you simply don’t want people to know? These questions might reveal some of the roots of shame-driven fear of man in your life. Consider some of the strategies you use to cover yourself, and remember that most people wear multiple layers.
The other reason Nation why leaders fear others is because they feel they can be rejected, or despised . This is not a modern phenomenon, but has been a problem for a number of illustrious people throughout history.
Moses warned the leaders and judges of Israel about this. (Deut 1:17) King Saul is a more specific biblical example of someone who experiences rejection-fear. (I Samuel 15: 9-24) Jesus warns the Jewish Leaders about this same thing in (John 5:44).
Jesus reached out to male and female, rich and poor, and all races and ages. He spoke truth that was often unpopular but could penetrate the heart. (Matt 22:16) Paul was no people-pleaser, but a people-lover and only people-lovers are able to confront, because they are not controlled by other people. Paul even indicated to the Galatians that if he were still trying to please men, he would not be a servant of God (Gal 1:10). Not that this came naturally. Paul had the same fleshly instincts we do. As a result, the following prayer request in Ephesians 6:19-20. Peter seems the boldest of all the disciples. How could he have denied the Lord? He had seen the miracles. He was given the Spirit who revealed to him that Jesus was the Christ. He was the rock. He witnessed the transfiguration! He loved Jesus. His confronter must have been a centurion, a Pharisee, or someone who could have executed him on the spot. But no, it was a servant girl. What we know is that when Jesus appeared to his disciples, he delighted in demonstrating his awesome forgiveness to Peter, “Tell his disciples and Peter,” the angel announced after the resurrection. Then, perhaps on another cool night around a fire, Jesus countered Peter’s denials with three invitations to feed the flock, and he finished by saying, “Follow me” (John 21:15-19). Yet, this remarkable man was humbled one more time (Gal 2:11ff). Did Peter finally learn? (I Peter 3:13-14)
The third reason why leaders fear others is because they feel they can be physically hurt them. Spoken cruel words and physical violence are clear examples of the way destructive people in our pasts can make us more prone to fearing other people. But words, too, are powerful. How does cruel speech affect children? (Prov. 12:18)
Abraham – A Cowardly Hero (Gen 12:11-13) Abraham was afraid of being physically threatened and felt without protection. Yet rather than trusting God, he trusted his own self-protection scheme. For Abraham, the Egyptians were big and God was small. Did Abraham learn from this experience? (Gen 20) But when Abraham demonstrated his willingness to trust God even if it meant the death of his son, the angel of the Lord said, “Now I know that you fear God” (Gen 22:12)
The Nation of Israel – Fear Wins and a Generation Loses. In Numbers 13, twelve Israeli leaders had been commissioned to explore the land. In their report they indicated that, indeed, it was the Promised Land, “and it does flow with milk and honey” (Numbers 13:27). But they were more in awe of the inhabitants of the land than they were in awe of their God. (Numbers 13: 28, 31, 33). Moses’ plea not to be afraid was ignored (Numbers 14:9). When God’s judgment was over and that generation was gone, Moses made one final appeal to the people, right before his own death. Deuteronomy: 3:2, 22; 4:10; 5:29; 6:2, 13; 7:17-18.
In contrast we have Joshua and David – Two Faith-Filled Leaders has I wrote in the other article in titled the type of leaders Zambia should have. “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Be strong and courageous.” Joshua 1:1-9; 10:25. Through his leadership, Joshua left the grandest of legacies: Israel served the Lord throughout the lifetime of Joshua (Joshua 24:31).
David is another shining example of a man who feared God, not man. God was his shield (Ps 3:3; 5:12; 7:10) his refuge (Ps 5:11; 9:9), his strength (Ps 118:14), and his rock, fortress, and deliverer (Ps 18:2). Naturally, he too was afraid when threatened. Likewise, we should be afraid when physically threatened. Meditate on the Psalms with faith, and follow David’s example. (Ps 27:1-4)
When Jesus was sending out the disciples to call others into the Kingdom, He reminded them that they would encounter a number of problems. People would reject them, they would be turned over to town councils for public flogging, and their ministry would be divisive, thus angering even more people. In other words, the disciples would be tempted to fear people. As a result, Jesus sent them off, saying “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matt 10:28)
Jesus’ exhortation was specifically about the fear of physical threats.
May God strengthen you and cause you to prosper in all you do and may God bless your entire household in Jesus’ Name For prayers and questions contact at jasper.mutale@yahoo.com or 0966 48 71 31
