Monday, 17 November 2008
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Scared of What Others Might Think?
by mrs violet 
I am in the middle of undoing some bad habits I let build up in my two-year-old son. Nothing terrible in the whole course of life, but things that I don't want to go on.
One of the things that I have been doing is dealing with his need for a bottle. We live in a typical English semi-detached house, where we share a wall with our next door neighbors. In the room next door to my two youngest sons is a young 16-year-old girl. She says she can hear the baby whenever he cries.
In fear of upsetting her, in fear of being thought of as a bad mother for allowing a baby to cry, in fear of creating problems with my neighbors, I have let bad habits set in.
Thankfully I am seeing the error of my way, and am becoming strong enough to know the habit is not worth the consequences.
I got to thinking about how many other times in my life, do I make choices out of fear of man? How many times have I allowed bad spiritual habits to set in, because I am scared of those around me and what they might think of me? And what about the other angle, how many times while in church have I done things/believed things, because it was important to somebody else, and later found that they had completely missed the mark?
If I am honest with myself, it happens more than I would like to own up too.
I am reminded of some verses in Psalms 34, but specifically this one:4 I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.In hindsight, I wish I had sought the Lord and His wisdom, amidst my fears of a crying baby and upset neighbors. Because I'm sure as my fear grew and grew, it became more irrational with each passing day. The hold it had over me became greater and greater. Such a little thing, grew into a mammoth irrational stronghold that was not built on truth nor wisdom. In reality, my neighbors are lovely, understanding people who have children of their own and get that sometimes babies cry.
So many times I have gone to God with the littlest of "child" problems and have been given solutions for things, I would have never thought of. That Psalm has been a truth in my life.
What about you? Are there times in your life that your fear of man, has lead to the forming of bad spiritual habits- maybe in your church, peer group or even work?
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Comments (10)
Fear of man is one of my biggest struggles. Thanks for the awesome reminder that I can go to God and receive help. Great post.
My husband says that my biggest weakness is that I care too much about what other people think of me. When I first started joining conversations here on Revelife - standing up for the Truth and being attacked because of it, I'd be super upset and wonder if I knew what I was talking about. I asked my hubby one day why I reacted the way I do and he told me it's because other people's opinions about me matter to me. Of course, that's not a great thing and I'm really working on that! But it's tough because our human nature tends to allow us to worry about what others - whom we can see and with whom we have physical relationships with - think, rather than worrying about what GOD thinks. Thanks for an inspiring post today! God bless.
Definitely, it's always hard when I am afraid of what other people will think of me...one of the biggest things I worry about!
I agree wit hall of these people. It is called approval addiction.
YES! Thanks for this post.
@Pickwick12@xanga - I think it will be one of those life long battles, at least for me.
@nicolevw@xanga - It is hard, and I think there is a balance to be met. While we are not to give into the fear of man, we also need to be aware of how our actions/words affect others, thinking of others more highly than ourselves etc.
So it is a tricky tricky area.
Fear no..... consideration yes..... people pleasing no!
Let me know if you work out the balance lol.
@Stephanie_J_B@xanga - thanks for your comment and vulnerability, have you found that anything in particular helps your struggle?
@breakingthesilence08@xanga - Ohh doesn't Joyce Myer have a book by that name? Have you read it?
@lildinosaur@xanga - no worries, thanks for stopping by!
Hope you all have a wonderful week!!!
@mrsviolet - Yes it is! I have not read it but saw it again this past weekend. I am hoping to get it this weekend.
@mrsviolet - Thank you for replying.
I think that what helps me is that to remember that as long as I'm doing what God wants to me to, and walking with Him, then I don't have to have any fear of what other people think of me!
Excellent point here. I'm so guilty of this as well. The only One whom we should fear is the Lord. I forget this always. :(
not really... being scared of people's overbearing opinions and ideals are like being afraid of fruitflies... they're just minor contrivances that need to pay heed to and just need to be swatted away....
i'm really not in fear of people mainly because I can really say what I want and turn around arguments pretty well for the most part... but I am sensitive to people though...
but when it comes to religious idiots... i tend to be less than inviting... and I make no apologies for saying that...
i recall one girl telling me i don't want ppl to tell it how it is and it struck me because this girl was literally exclaiming she was the voice of God to me... i ignored her and let her stay on her pompous reign of self-indulgence fully knowing she's just not worth my time or efforts to engage and so I laughed her off....