Courage for Resisting the 'Fear of Man'

Kathy Collard Miller's focus on the believer's identity in Christ has helped her navigate many issues in life, and she encourages others in that journey as well. In this Biblical Thinking UPGRADE, she encourages trust in God's love and concern for us rather than getting caught up in what others think—the "fear of man.""I suffer from the 'fear of man,' Kathy says. "Proverbs 29:25 says, 'The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe' (ESV)."

I (Dawn) am sure every one of us has been caught in that snare at some time in life, and some people have a greater tendency to get caught. It takes courage and intentionality to fight against the destructive fear of man.

Kathy continues . . .

I was recently surprised to find some powerful wisdom in Isaiah 51:12-13 (ESV) for fighting the fear of man.

Those verses say:

   I, I am he who comforts you;
       who are you that you are afraid of man who dies,
       of the son of man who is made like grass,
    and have forgotten the Lord, your Maker,
       who stretched out the heavens
       and laid the foundations of the earth,
    and you fear continually all the day
       because of the wrath of the oppressor,
    when he sets himself to destroy?
       And where is the wrath of the oppressor?

The fear of man—who may feel like an “oppressor”—comes from thinking other people are the best source of what we need.

In verse 12, God says He offers comfort to us. The Hebrew word “comfort” has the idea of expressing sympathy.

Quite often when we fear the opinions of "man," we are looking for understanding, approval, and affirmation from others.

When people seem to come through for us, we feel “comforted” in knowing we are a person of value.

How can we resist that snare and trust God instead based on Isaiah 51:12-13?

Truths to Consider

1. The comfort from other people is temporary, but God’s is eternal.

Someone may offer us what we want, but the next time she may fail us. Only God’s opinion of us never changes.

2. Only God is wise enough to truly know what we need.

If God wisely and powerfully created us, He knows our real, valid needs. He provided the demonstration of Jesus dying on the cross for our sins when we don’t deserve it. No one else can do that for us.

Ephesians 1:3-14 offers the fullest, most concise identifiers of believers in the Bible. God says because of our inheritance through Christ, we are identified as blameless, forgiven, blessed, holy, redeemed, loved, chosen, predestined, conformed, secure and other declarations of who we are in His view of us.

3. Recognize how the fear of man creates stress.

Living in God’s love brings love, joy, peace, and other fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).

4. What we fear usually isn’t as bad as we anticipate.

In effect, God says through Isaiah, “Is it really as bad as you anticipated?” Sometimes it does feel as horrible, but when we see how God wants to affirm our worth and value, we can also see how we grow from the challenge.

Early in my marriage to Larry, I was afraid of his displeasure. I carefully tried to evaluate his every reaction and then change my behavior based on what I assumed he was “telling me.”

In time, I read about the “fear of man” and was convicted of putting Larry’s opinion of me higher than God’s.

One day, Larry seemed irritated. I boldly asked, “Larry, you look angry. Are you mad at me?”

He looked surprised and replied, “Do I? No, I’m not mad at you. I was thinking about work.”

From that day on, I learned to ask instead of assume.

Here are some practical suggestions for diminishing the fear of man.

• Memorize and meditate on Isaiah 51:12-13.
• Ask yourself exactly what it is you fear.
• Make a list of your inheritance in Christ as Ephesians 1:3-14 defines you. Put it in several prominent places in your home and work space.
• Forgive others who respond to you out of their own hurt and pain. Their reaction says nothing about how valuable you are and how loved you are by God.

How can you more effectively allow God to comfort you instead of a person’s opinion of you?

Kathy Collard Miller has long depended on her identity in Christ to grow in resisting the snare of the fear of man. God has used His journey for her through His opportunities to write over 60 books, speak in 9 countries and over 30 US states. One of her newer books is Pure Hearted: The Blessings of Living Out God’s Glory where she expands on knowing our identity in Christ. Kathy and her husband, Larry, of 52 years, are parents, grandparents, lay counselors, and live in Boise, Idaho. Visit her at KathyCollardMiller.com.

Graphic adapted, courtesy of Pexels at Pixabay.

God of the Paperclips

Susan Stewart is such a practical woman, and her practical insights make her spiritual insights glow! In this Spiritual Growth UPGRADE, she reminds us that God is concerned about every detail in our lives.

"In less than twelve hours, a couple thousand people would be in line for the opening of the convention," Susan said. "Few of us were thinking, 'God, please take care of the paper clips.'"

I (Dawn) have to say, that is a thought-grabbing statement, isn't it? Does God really care about the tiniest details of our lives?

Susan continues . . .

Each year the convention committee gathered to pray for the coming event. Around the table, we prayed, “Bless this convention” and “Thank you for letting us be involved.”

One person, though, acknowledged that God is vitally interested in every detail of our lives, right down to the paperclips.

“Be still, and know that I am God” (Ps. 46:10) is a familiar verse. We often emphasize the “be still,” forgetting who is God.

We were certainly being still during that time of prayer, but only one person was remembering God’s involvement.

How interested is the Creator of the universe in the details of our lives?

Well, how interested are you in your children’s lives? Do you care about the specifics of your new recipe? God has the same interest in you and what you do.

Have you ever believed that God wants you to do something, but you didn’t know how to do it? Or maybe you feared failure? Often, we end up “being still.” We fuss (pray?), worry (stress?), and sit still—doing nothing.

To get out of this trap, we need to learn to:

Let God Handle the Paperclips!

1. Be sure what we’re doing has been given TO US by God.

I get so many good ideas. I want to do so many good things.

• When I see the commercials on TV about the hurting children in other countries; I want to do something.
• I hear about abused women; I want to act.
• The pastor calls for a Sunday School teacher; I want to raise my hand.

Paul wanted to take the gospel to Asia. His desire is heard in the words he writes.

• Was it God’s plan for the gospel go to Asia? Absolutely.
• Was it God’s plan that Paul take the Word to Asia? No.

In Acts 16, we’re told the Holy Spirit had forbidden Paul to speak the word in Asia.

Is it recorded anywhere that Paul worried about how the God was going to take his message to Asia?

Paul knew that God wanted his message taken to every man. Paul also listened to the details of the plan as they related to him. Paul didn’t worry about the way that God was going to carry out the plan in Asia.

I finally learned a need is not a call.

Are you trying to do something that is someone else’s job? Have you lost your focus on what God wants YOU to do?

If you are lacking joy in what you are doing, maybe you’re doing someone else’s assignment and leaving God out of the details.

2. We should ponder WHY we’re doing what we’re doing.

Often, we carry on a project out of tradition, or even because we think no one else will do it.

Are you doing something God wants stopped?

This applies not only to church service, but also to every activity we are involved in.

Are you there because it seems right, or because you feel obligated, or because God wants you there?

3. When God shows us a task to do, let HIM worry about the details.

Our God is mighty, powerful, and strong. These are big words.

In our puny little minds, we think God is too big to be bothered with the tiny details.

In the United States, we don’t need to depend on God to take care of much. Unlike people in a third world nation, we usually know where our next meal is coming from, what we will clothe our children with, where we will stay out of the rain.

We have become so self-sufficient, we don’t think we should bother God with little things like paper clips.

• God has all the details worked out—in advance—from eternity (that’s huge).
• It doesn’t matter whether we’re trying to get enough nursery workers or preparing a dinner for in-laws.

Take a look at the latter chapters of Exodus. God gave Moses detailed instructions in the construction of the tabernacle. God cared enough about these details that He even gave Moses the color of the fabric to use and the placement of curtain hangers.

On the other hand, God may choose to NOT fill us in on all the details in advance.

When God called Abram out of Ur, He said, “Go.”

Abram wasn’t even given a map. As the band Abram led needed information, God gave it to them.

Henry Blackaby says,

“God will always give you enough specific directions to DO NOW what He wants you to do. When you need more directions, He will give more in His timing.”

4. The final and most necessary step is to TALK with God about the job ahead of you.

You can’t know the details unless you chat with the Planner.

How often we stumble around, fret and worry, and destroy our own joy because we haven’t asked the architect of the universe for the blueprint on our little job.

God wants us to depend on Him for all things. He wants to supply our needs from His riches.

In Ephesians 3:20, God tells us He is able to do exceedingly, abundantly beyond all that we ask or think. It is beyond our comprehension the great and good details God has for our lives.

Most importantly, when we submit to God’s plans—allowing him to work the details—He is glorified. And that is our ultimate purpose.

When we put the details in God's hands, we don’t sweat the small stuff.  

Since that first prayer for the paperclips, God has taken care of the convention details—everything from tape to chairs to even the paperclips.

Whether on the job, at home, or in our churches, we are showing a skeptical world that our God is bigger than the paperclips.

What is the “paperclip” in your life? What are the details you need to allow God to reveal in his way and time?

Susan K. Stewart is Managing Editor of Special Projects with Elk Lake Publishing Inc. She teaches, writes, and edits nonfiction. Susan’s passion is to inspire readers with practical, real-world solutions. Her books include Science in the Kitchen, Preschool: At What Cost?, Harried Homeschoolers Handbook, and the award-winning Formatting e-Books for Writers. Her latest book, Donkey Devos: Listening When God Speaks, was released in July. You can learn more at her website www.susankstewart.com.

Graphic adapted, courtesy of Aleander Stein at Pixabay.

The Secret to Doing Hard Things

Kathy Carlton Willis is amazing. I've watched her go through a series of tough circumstances over the last few years, and she always manages to choose biblical responses as she teaches others how to deal with struggles as "God's Grin Gal." In this Biblical Thinking UPGRADE, she shares her secret for doing hard things.

“I’m usually self-sufficient but lately I’ve realized more than ever that I’m not Wonder Woman,” Kathy says. “The demands of life not only highlight my weaknesses, but spotlight God’s strength.

Now I (Dawn) just shared how amazing Kathy is, but if you read her opening statement, you'll realize how humble she is before the Lord, always trusting His sovereign purposes. 

Kathy continues . . .

Everyone’s been talking about what a hard year 2020 has been. My personal worst day of an already bad year happened the day before Hurricane Delta hit our area.

My family sold our forever home to move to an area where my husband’s job landed him, and we dealt with many unknowns at once—more like didn’t deal with them.

The day finally came to load the last POD with belongings and hit the road.

Sometimes you gain life lessons through the worst experiences!

Here’s what I learned.

Don’t believe what they say a POD storage unit holds. 

We packed to the ceiling, but still had items that wouldn’t fit. So we had to leave behind multiple pieces of furniture. This day was a day of many mini goodbyes.

Packing and loading a POD with your mate will show you how well you work together and love each other. 

Russ and I passed that test!

I also learned I’m still strong physically and on the inside. Grateful for that strength to come through when I needed it.

One time when we flipped a heavy desk upside down to stack it on top of the washer and dryer, I turned to Russ and said, “We did this. We did this. We did this!

Sometimes you have to celebrate the immediate accomplishment before the entire goal is even completed.

Moving the day before a hurricane hits is not wise. 

Loading a POD while it’s lightly raining wasn’t great. But driving in a three-car caravan through almost zero-visibility on highways packed with merciless aggressive drivers evacuating the area is a nightmare.

My husband drove lead and went faster than we were comfortable following. He made a couple of turns not in the plans.

Mom drove in the middle and had a hard time seeing or keeping up with Russ. I was the caboose and my main job was to keep an eye on Mom and go where she went, even when she lost the lead car.

This meant pulling over three times for regrouping and calling Russ to reconnect. The phone map app in remote locations wasn’t reliable.

We truly got to the destination as a grace of God—I’m sure of it.

God can be trusted. 

When we were just two minutes down the road, physically exhausted from loading the POD, emotionally exhausted from saying goodbye to my forever home, and mentally exhausted from dealing with multiple challenges in addition to the weather, I whined to God.

I can’t do this.

God said, “Can you trust Me?”

Yes, Lord.

He said, “Don’t focus on what you can’t do, focus on trusting Me, and I’ll take care of the rest. I’ll get you there.”

Okay Lord.

For the 2.5 hour trip, I prayed . . . and prayed. 

You can do hard things. 

After enduring the above issues and getting to the destination, we had three vehicles to unload in the pouring down rain, making about twenty trips into our temporary dwelling place.

I was perfectly willing to get soaking wet and exert more physical energy and lifting compared to driving in those awful conditions.

Perspective can help you deal with yucky stuff by remembering something far worse.

Storms are called storms for a reason. 

The physical storm of Hurricane Delta was horrendous. Way worse than predicted. And going through it in a strange place was difficult.

We had three worn out frustrated people who craved space, all situated in tight quarters. Not ideal.

But we were safe. Safe in the storm.

 How to Do Hard Things

1. Trust God.

Without trusting Him, we’re actually trusting in ourselves. And sadly, we don’t have what it takes apart from God to get it done.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take (Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT).

2. Do the first thing.

Don’t try to tackle it all. Just do the step immediately in front of you. God will show you what it is.

The Lord is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving (Psalm 28:7 NLT).

3. Keep going when it’s hard.

It might not get easier until it is OVER.

“The Lord says, ‘I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name’ (Psalm 91:14 NLT).

4. Celebrate when to-do becomes ta-done.

In our eagerness to be productive, we often forget this step before moving on to the next thing.

This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it (Psalm 118:24 NLT).

Your choices in hard times can spotlight the Lord’s strength and faithfulness.

What hard thing does God want you to do this week?

Kathy Carlton Willis is God’s Grin Gal. She writes and speaks with a balance of funny and faith—whimsy and wisdom. Over a thousand of Kathy’s articles have been published and she has several books in her Grin Gal brand. Look for 7 Trials Every Woman Faces, coming soon. Kathy is active as a book industry pro, and her coaching group, WordGirls, propels women toward their writing goals. She graduated with honors from Bible College and has served 30+ years in full-time ministry. Check out her Grin & Grow Break video devotions on social media. www.kathycarltonwillis.com

Graphic of PODS Storage Unit at Mobile Attic.

Graphic adapted of Hurricane Delta, courtesy of Wikipedia.

A Season of Quarantined or Cocooned?

Joanie Shawhan is skilled at finding positive lessons in the midst of seemingly negative circumstances. In this Spiritual Growth UPGRADE, she writes about how the recent quarantine was, for her, a time of transformation.

"Frightened, bewildered and shut away—the hallmarks of this quarantined season," Joanie says.

Like many, I (Dawn) struggled many days with feelings of being shut away, but then the Lord showed me fresh insights about living. In the midst of great losses, many also experienced great blessings of spiritual growth.

Joanie continues . . .

I don’t understand why we’ve been engulfed in a pandemic and why so many people suffered the loss of loved ones and livelihood.

The following verse has challenged me:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding (Proverbs 3:5 NKJV).

“Trust me,” God says.

Do I trust nothing bad will happen? Bad things happen to good people, even God’s people. But I don’t place my trust in my circumstances.

I trust in the God who walks with me through all my seasons, including brokenness. 

As we emerge from quarantine, I wonder, were we truly isolated?

Maybe we’ve been hidden.

Sequestered away, I felt God had wrapped me in a cocoon, hiding me, sheltering me, drawing me to Himself. But the cocoon was not a place of inactivity.

Deep within, hidden, God was at work transforming me.

Maybe He has been transforming all of us—stripping away stinky mindsets, attitudes and trappings. Replacing dead works with His truth and love.

How we emerge from our cocoons, spun by the hand of God in response to the crisis, will depend upon the nourishment we received while hidden in Him. Nourishment that comes from His Word and His presence—healing and recreating us into His image. Restoring our identity in Christ.

While we were hidden away...

What qualities did God cultivate in our hearts? 

1. Faith

Our faith increased as our hearts responded to God's love and His goodness. We became confident He is for us and not against us.

2. Trust

We grew in trust, as we experienced God’s faithfulness even when we didn’t understand the whys of our circumstances.

3. Peace

We focused on Christ and His Word, calming our hearts in the face of fear and anxiety.

4. Love.

God continually reached out to us and drew us to Himself by His love, a love that never changes despite our weaknesses and failures.

5. Hope.

We know God moved on our behalf even when we couldn’t see any evidence of change. He promised us a future filled with hope.

6. Humility.

We recognized the situation we faced was out of our control and we couldn’t fix it. Only the God who created the universe could bring order out of this chaos.

Like butterflies, we can’t remain in the chrysalis forever.

We must also emerge, changed and transformed. But our beauty reflects the image of Christ.

What aspects of God might we manifest as we emerge from a season hidden in Christ?

1. Compassion — During our confinement, we learned to listen to God’s heart, His love and compassion for a hurting world.

2. Grace — God softened our hearts, reminding us everyone has a story. He enables us to extend grace to those whose viewpoints and feelings are different than our own.

I like John Stott’s definition of grace, “Grace is love that stoops and rescues.”

3. Joy — The joy we experienced in the presence of the Lord will flow through us to others. This joy will strengthen us as we move forward to fulfill our purpose and destiny.

God is looking for vessels transformed by His love, ready to minister to a hurting world.

We go forth with the compassion, grace and joy God instilled in us while we were sequestered away with Him.

We will be able to proclaim along with David:

He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the Lord and put their trust in him (Psalm 40:3 NIV).

What transformation have you experienced during this season of confinement?

Joanie Shawhan is an ovarian cancer survivor, registered nurse, speaker, Selah Awards Finalist for In Her Shoes: Dancing in the Shadow of Cancer, and radio and television guest. Contact Joanie: www.joanieshawhan.com.

How to Trust God with Unanswered Prayer

Debbie W. Wilson is not only an exceptional Bible teacher, she is a life coach who applies scripture in practical ways. In this Prayer UPGRADE, she addresses a topic that sometimes causes Christians to question the Lord.

Debbie asks, "Have unanswered prayers ever shaken your ability to trust God?"

I (Dawn) know I have had many unanswered prayers. I wondered, "Isn't my faith strong enough?" My focus was all wrong, regardless.

Years ago, a movement named Promise Keepers called men to faithfulness. But this article is about the faithfulness of God. Debbie is calling people to the Faithful Promise Keeper.

Debbie continues . . .

My friend and I prayed for her teenaged sons who were rebelling against her faith and values. Nothing she did seemed to reach them.

One day while reading the Bible she came across a Bible passage that resonated with her.

^"This is what the Lord says: ‘Restrain your voice from weeping and your eyes from tears, for your work will be rewarded,’ declares the Lord.

‘They will return from the land of the enemy. So there is hope for your descendants,’ declares the Lord. ‘Your children will return to their own land’” (Jer. 31:16-17 NIV).

My friend believed this was God’s promise to her.

She repeated “they will return” to herself when their behavior worsened. This word from God boosted her faith whenever she was tempted to worry.

Abraham and Sarah, an Old Testament couple, also found hope in a promise from God. This couple tried for decades to have a child with no success. Sarah was infertile.

Imagine their surprise when God approached Abraham when he was pushing 100 years to say the time had come. Sarah would give birth to a son next year.

“As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah. I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her” (Gen. 17:15-16 NIV).

Sarah was at least 89. If she couldn’t conceive during the normal childbearing years, how could she hope to conceive a child now?

When their circumstances contradicted God’s words, they focused on the promise.

Their placed their hope in His ability not in their circumstances.

“Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed… Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised” (Rom. 4:18-21 NIV).

Abraham didn’t live in denial.

Neither was he a Pollyanna.

He considered his “good as dead” body and Sarah’s dead womb and laughed. God sure had a sense of humor to bring a son from them—now!

At age 100 Abraham held his infant son in his arms. At age 90 Sarah sang lullabies as she nursed her newborn.

God ALWAYS keeps His promises!

God fulfilled His promise to my friend too. Today, both of her children walk with the Lord and are raising their children in the Lord.

How do we trust God when our prayers seem to fall on deaf ears?

1. Ask God for His will and perspective and then expect to receive a word from Him. It may come from your regular Bible reading, a sermon, or what the Holy Spirit brings to mind.
2. Focus on His promise—not on what you see or don’t see. Memorize it and say it out loud.
3. Trust God’s timing. Some of God’s promises—like Abraham being the father of many nations—are bigger than our lifetime.

“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see” (Heb. 11:1 NIV). 

God always keeps His promises.

Has He given you a promise, but you can’t see anyway it will be fulfilled? Trust Him. He is the Promise Keeper.

Debbie W. Wilson—drawing from her walk with Christ and decades as a Christian counselor, life coach, and Bible teacher—helps women give themselves a break so they can enjoy grace-filled lives. Based on Hebrews 11, her most recent book, Little Faith, Big God, shows people how to live strong and finish well. Debbie enjoys a good mystery, dark chocolate, and the antics of her two standard poodles. Refresh your faith with free resources at debbieWwilson.com.