“I sought the Lord, and He answered me and delivered me from all my fears.” (Psalm 34:4)

How does the fear of rejection become a trap?

“The fear of man is a snare, but the one who trusts in the Lord is protected.” (Proverbs 29:25) 

• It causes us to compromise our lifestyle and our values.
• It keeps us from speaking the truth.
• It prevents giving and receiving love.
• It leads to isolation and loneliness.
• It moves us towards unhappiness.
• It silences our sharing about Christ.
• It keeps us spiritually immature.

How can I overcome the fear of others rejecting me?

• Accept the fact that people will let you down!

“I am the one who strengthens you. Why should you fear mortals who are no more enduring than grass?” (Isaiah 51:12)[GNT]

“For am I now trying to win the favor of people, or God?  Or am I striving to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a slave of Christ.”  (Galatians 1:10)

Truth: People will not love you as much as you need to be loved.

Truth: We focus on the wrong fear.

“Don’t fear those who kill the body but are not able to kill the soul; rather,  fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matthew 10: 28)

• Focus on how God sees you.

“But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or his stature, because  I have rejected him. Man does not see what the Lord sees, for man sees what is visible, but the Lord sees the heart.”” (1 Samuel 16:7)

• Fall back on God’s unconditional love for you.

“Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (1 John 4:10)

“There is no fear in love; instead, perfect love drives out fear, because fear involves punishment. So the one who fears has not reached perfection in love.” (1 John 4:18)

Thought for the week: “When we live to please an audience of One, God’s love crowds everyone else out and we are totally accepted by Him.”