Left on the Table

The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe. Proverbs 29:25 ESV

We like to call fear by many names:  peer pressure, uneasiness, discomfort, shyness, unready, unqualified. No matter how it’s dressed up, fear is still as Proverbs 29:25 describes it – a snare. And like any trap, it can make you leave something behind. If believers aren’t careful, they can find themselves caught in the trap of the fear of man. What is the fear of man? It’s when we are afraid of the disapproval or negative opinion of others or their actions. Why is that a snare? Because it relinquishes personal power and gives it to others. And when that happens, blessings can get left on the table.

The scriptures tell of people who left God’s blessings on the table because they were more concerned about what others thought or would do than about the Father of blessings. Fear of men scattering prompted King Saul to make an inappropriate offering that cost him his kingdom in 1 Samuel 13. The soldiers of the Israelite army forfeited a great victory and rewards from the king because they feared Goliath in 1 Samuel 17. Jesus told the parable of the talents in Matthew 25 where a servant was afraid of his master and instead of doing what was right, he basically did nothing. This caused him to not only miss out on the blessing of the master, but to lose what he already had as well.

For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. 2 Timothy 1:6-7 ESV

God does not intend for us to relinquish anything to fear. He has empowered us with love and self-control so that we can move beyond what others think or feel about us and never leave any blessings on the table.