Lost soul aside 2016 free#

The person(s) whose reward of approval we desire most - whose curse of disapproval we most fear to receive - is the person(s) we will obey, our functional god. But we cut through to the heart of things if we remember a simple biblical truth: we obey the one we fear. When we feel this fear, it can stir up emotional fog and psychological complexity. It is a fear of losing or not obtaining something we really desire, which is why it wields such power over us. This fear comes right from the place where our heart’s treasure is stored (Matthew 6:21). God designed us this way, for it reveals who and what our heart loves. The person(s) to whom we ascribe most authority - to define who we are, what we’re worth, what we should do, and how we should do it - is the person(s) we fear the most, because it is the person(s) whose approval we want most. Moreover, we instinctively seek them from external personal sources we know deep down they are bestowed on us by a Person. So, we cannot help but derive our identity, value, and meaning from external sources. Deep down, we know such self-created meaning is absurd. We are not autonomous but contingent creatures.Īnd each of us also instinctively knows our existence fits into a larger purpose or story and, despite postmodernism’s attempts to convince us otherwise, it is impossible for us to create our own ultimate meaning. We didn’t choose our DNA, intellectual and physical powers, families, cultures, early education, time periods, or most other major influences.

Lost soul aside 2016 free#

“God has the power to free us from the fear of man.”Įach of us instinctively knows, as creatures, that who we are and what we’re worth are not things we define for ourselves. God actually designed us to be motivated by these emotionally powerful forces, for they uniquely reveal what we love. It’s important we understand why our desire for approval and fear of disapproval is so strong.ĭue to our sin, weaknesses, and perhaps traumatic past experiences, we might assume these things are merely consequences of the fall. And typically, he frees us by helping us face our false fears so that they lose their power over us. But he frees us not by removing our fear of disapproval, but transferring it to the right place. God has the power to free us and he wants us living in the safe freedom of trusting him.

If we get caught, we must do whatever it takes to free ourselves. The Hebrew word here for “snare” refers to traps hunters used to catch animals or birds. That’s why the Bible tells us, “The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe” (Proverbs 29:25). It feels powerful, but its power is deceptive. The fear of man can immobilize us when we should take action, and gag us into silence when we should speak. The Bible calls this the “fear of man,” and it can weave a web of ambiguity around issues that are biblically clear. Why do we fear others’ disapproval so much? We all experience this fear, and most of us don’t want to admit how serious its tyranny can be.