Proverbs 29:25-26, "The fear of man brings a snare, But he who trusts in the LORD will be exalted. Many seek the ruler's favour, but justice for man comes from the LORD."

 

Living to and for men is one of the worst kinds of bondage, for anyone living to man cannot live to God, the giver of freedom. We have a saying, "I love you, but I do not live to you. I live to God." I will again preach of my own weakness: I determined some time ago that I would no longer meet with politicians. Why? I always compromise! I have met wicked men in places of authority and found myself compromising. The men should have been rebuked. If Jesus did not go to the "leaders"in His day, then what business do I have going? There is just something about being in the presence of image that shakes me. It is my weakness; I am sure some can withstand it, but I cannot. I end up living for man. There are several ways to live for man: giving glory, taking glory, giving judgement, receiving judgement. Showing partially because of worldly resources, grovelling at the image or position of "greatness", discussing man's "secret" failings, refusing to ask a question, avoiding a confrontation or reacting to criticism. I have done it all, and I tell you it is a miserable way to live. What makes it so miserable is the awareness that there is another way to live, free from man-pleasing; however, this freedom comes through faith. We must believe completely and unreservedly that we have a God who provides for us in every way, financially, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. We must believe that He opens doors, provides the way, and gives us wisdom. We must believe that He gives us everything needed, and that in Him we will find everything that we have looked for elsewhere in vain. For it is only in seeing that God meets all our needs that we are free from the root of living for men, that root being the belief that man can provide something that we need. If assurance, significance, value, and worth come from God, what does man have to offer? If man has nothing to provide that we need - no praise, position, nor possession - then we are free not to live to man. Again living for the approval of man has at its root the belief that man can give us something that God will not.

 

Therefore, we compromise our own eternal goal to get something perishable, even though what man offers always seems to com at a high price. When we live to men, we must ask ourselves what their favour will give us: our name on a piece of paper, a conversational piece of name-dropping that will elevate us when in a social setting, a job interview, or their approval over our work? Once we move in faith toward the Provider of all, we will be free, free indeed. It is great to trust i God and not trust man, it is beautiful to acknowledge that God provides, and it is wonderful to let the heart become a graveyard fpr criticism because of the understanding that people's praise would not fill the void that only Christ can fill. Now some will say, "Then we can be hermits; we do not need men!" Not al all! We need them to love.

Michael Wells