When People are Big and God is Small
by Pastor Jeremy
Recently, on a trip to the beach our minivan popped a tire. I may or may not have run over something sharp…but that’s besides the point. After changing the tire and enjoying a nice afternoon on the beach we headed the hour and half back to our home. Our trip took us along a one lane road (i.e. no passing) and of course with a spare tire strapped on we were severely limited in our speed.
So there we were…a van full of kids and sand…piddling along at a whopping 80 km/hour on the highway. Needless to say a long line of cars emerged behind me. For the first five or six minutes I remained calm and steadfast in my commitment to safety. After all this was precious cargo I was carrying and I wouldn’t be pressured into driving faster for the sake of someone else’s schedule.
Funny, though, how after only a few minutes something sneaky and subtle began to slip in…something that manifested itself in one, then two, then five more km/hour of speed. That something I recognized as “the fear of man”. As my speedometer crept slowly upward my wife said something simple and very profound: “don’t let them pressure you”.
Of course she was referring to the long line of cars in my rearview mirror. And she was right…after only a few minutes the line of headlights and occasional beeps (yes…people were actually beeping at me) began to do something in my soul. Something I am all too familiar with…fear of what other people think of me.
As a church, we just finished a series in the book of Ecclesiastes. In the very last chapter, the writer Solomon concludes with this, “The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man” (12:13).
That’s it. That’s the end of the matter. The secret sauce for Solomon to living a life of meaning, purpose, and fulfilment is one that is not devoid of fear but a life fearing the right thing (or Person). One thing I’ve learned, albeit imperfectly, is that the Bible shows us that the greatest remedy to the fear of man is the fear of God.
The one will drive out the other (and visa versa). Proverbs 29:25 says clearly, “Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.” One of the most helpful resources I’ve found on this matter is by Christian counsellor, professor, and author Ed Welch. In his book When People are Big and God is Small Welch writes:
“Scripture gives three basic reasons why we fear other people…[One] we fear people because they can expose and humiliate us. [Two] we fear people because they can reject, ridicule, or despise us. [Three] we fear people because they can attack, oppress, or threaten us. These three reasons have one thing in common: they see people as “bigger” (that is, more powerful and significant) than God, and, out of the fear that creates in us, we give other people the power and right to tell us what to feel, think, and do. [23]
He goes on to say:
“The problem is clear: People are big in our lives and God is too small. The answer is straightforward: We must learn to know that our God is more loving and more powerful than we ever imagined. Yet this task is not easy…The goal is to establish a daily tradition of growing in the knowledge of God.” [113]
Are there areas of your life right now that are being controlled out of a fear of man? Certain decisions you are making at work, in your dorm, or among your friends? Is a fear of man keeping you from following God in obedience in a certain area of your life? Maybe that fear is so severe that it greets you when you wake up and keeps you awake at night?
The answer is not to ignore it but to replace it. Part of the ongoing work of the Spirit of God in our life (Phil. 1:6) is to continually replace the fear of others with the fear of God. If that’s you, begin by confessing that fear to someone who loves and trusts Jesus (a friend, pastor, roommate). And then I’d encourage you to pick up this incredible resource and start working through it with that person. A life free of the fear of man because you’ve replaced it with the fear of God is a life worth pursuing. You won’t regret it.
