Trust. Webster’s defines it as the firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability or strength of someone or something. At our core, we all desire relationships based on trust, as we instinctively know it’s the key to a confident, productive and meaningful life. But who should we trust, and under what conditions? If we’ve learned anything this past year it’s that trusting in the One who is trustworthy is the key to knowing real hope and living the abundant life. Seems pretty obvious at this point, right? So why do I bring it up? Because many of us still lead lives void of authentic trust in God and its resulting fruit. In fact, we struggle daily with its antithesis, the Fear of Man.
The Fear of Man is a sinister condition birthed in misplaced trust. Its end game is to bind us up and tear us down! There is no freedom in fear, and true to its namesake it promises and delivers in excess. The Fear of Man shows its ugly face in many ways but is rooted in our desire and need for approval and acceptance. It leads us to second guess our decisions, become timid when we should be bold, believe the worst in ourselves, and determine our worth based on the opinions of others. You get the picture!
Our Heavenly Father speaks quite often about the Fear of Man and warns us gently and at times not so gently to be careful about placing our trust in anything or anyone other than Himself as the consequence of doing otherwise is dire. For example, the Book of Proverbs tells us that the “fear of man” is a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord will be kept safe. Believe me, I have felt firsthand that snare God is talking about and know the danger of misplacing my trust in others.
I want to share a personal story that illustrates this point and how God delivered me through that experience. I’m hoping he can use this to help you as well. Here goes:
Back in 2013 I experienced a nerve-wracking ordeal. It had to do with a secondary company of mine that was being shut down and in the process of closing I was owed a substantial amount of money. But in order to receive what I was owed I was being asked to submit to another man’s authority and agree to terms that would live me a prisoner to the fear of man for the rest of my life. So, after persevering through despair for nearly six months my trial was about to climax in the form of a meeting between myself and the one owing me money. I was asked to sit in a large room with only a small table in the center for us to sit at which was obviously set up for intimidation. It was nerve racking, but I was prepped and sat there just listening for a couple of hours. Then the meeting finally reached its boiling point and the other party snapped and began a verbal assault on me that left me terrified. At that moment I said to myself, “I’m out of here!” I was going to get up and leave, hire a lawyer and fight this myself, or should I say hide behind my lawyer and expect him to fight for me. Hence, remain a prisoner to the fear of man for life. But God had another plan, and it was to deliver me from this fear once and for all.
Now as I began to reach back from my coat in order to begin my departure I heard the voice, “Pssss…. Where are you going?” I instantly knew it was God but was also amazed I could hear His voice so clearly amidst the screaming coming from the other side of the table. I remember the conversation, “Is that you God?” “Yes, it is!” “I’m so scared!” “I know you are, but it’s okay I orchestrated this all for you!” This was God’s way of putting me in a terrifying position in order to walk me through it and finally see the lie behind the fear of man, the love of money! Those who fear man tend to love money more than God. They see it as their refuge. The more they have the safer they feel. But it is a false security. That is why we have heard it said all our lives, you cannot serve both God and money. Only one can be your refuge, I say choose God for it is the wise choice.
With that said I chose to stay in my chair and transfer my trust from the fear of man and the love of money to the one who deserves my all, God. Within forty-five minutes God turned this man’s heart around and I left that meeting with every penny that was owed to me and then some! My time in the wasteland living with the fear of man was over and my new way of living in the garden by trusting in the Lord was blooming!
This lesson of deliverance can and was summed up by God in the book of Hebrews chapter 13 verses 5-6, “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” So, we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper: I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” WOW!!!
The conclusion of the matter is if we will stop pursuing riches and be content with what we have, God will provide everything we need in life and keep us free from the fear of man which always proves to be a snare. Don’t you want to live in that peace? It is called Garden living! So put your trust in God not man. What do you have to lose but the Fear of Man!
Dario L. Perla