4 Snares to Avoid when You Fear Disapproval
Snares can trap and immobilize you in a net when you fear the disapproval of others. The evil one is out to get you like a hunter stalking your every move until you are caught!
Much of what we do as women can be influenced by what others are doing around us.
If one woman shows up at an event all dressed up and another shows up in jeans and an oversized T-shirt, both probably feel like they wore the wrong outfit!
As women, we feel the critical eye of others and can imagine what they are thinking of us!
If you are honest with yourself, you are snared by what others think of you.
I know I am!
3 Snares to Avoid
The fear of man brings a snare,
But whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe. Proverbs 29:25
The thing is, that we are trapped into the net by the snares of what we love most!
Having something we love doesn’t sound like something that has the power to trap us into its claws.
But . . .
It most certainly can!
1. Avoiding the Pride-Snare
For the day of the Lord of hosts
Shall come upon everything proud and lofty,
Upon everything lifted up—
And it shall be brought low— Isaiah 2:12
How quickly we can fall into the pride-snare!
Remember, you might be trapped by what you love most.
So, let’s say you have a hobby. For me, it is creative Bible journaling in which I draw about a verse in my Bible and share in the Jesus Journaling Facebook group.
I love creative journaling! Nothing wrong with that!
BUT . . .
What if I submit a drawing and start having secret thoughts about how beautiful it turned out? Then I carry it a little further (because thoughts become words and actions) and comment in the group about how gorgeous it is? What if I start thinking about how it is more beautiful than anyone else’s artwork in the group?
To be honest, you probably would NEVER actually say your drawing was the most beautiful and neither would I!
Even though this is an unrealistic example, you get the point.
2. Disapproval of those of Your Past!
And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Matthew 10:28
Why is our desire for approval so strong?
You might have experiences and people in your past that have such a pull on areas of sin in your life and your weaknesses. If your past was traumatic it can affect your responses in the present.
- You didn’t create yourself. God created you to be His special treasure!
- You didn’t choose your DNA, God created you exactly how you are. He loves you!
- God created your intellect perfectly!
- God created you physically and loves you just as you are, shape and all!
- God placed you in the family you were raised in, imperfections and all!
If your identity has been distorted by those in your past, know that God created you for a special purpose.
Your existence fits into a larger story, one that God created you for. He wants you to allow Him to heal you of hurtful experiences in your past and to no longer respond with fear to the disapproval of those people.
God is the only One you should fear!
3. Snares of Peer Pressure!
For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. John 12:43
Peer pressure is what the ‘fear of man’ really is!
We fear what others might think of what we wear, what we eat or drink, what we say, and we adapt what we would have done accordingly.
Peer pressure isn’t isolated to our school days as teenagers but often follows us all of our life!
As women, this can be such a snare when God is the only One who should direct our steps!
4. Snares of Comparison to Others!
And Abraham said, “Because I thought, surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will kill me on account of my wife. Genesis 20:11
Women get snared by comparing themselves to others so easily.
- Do you compare yourself to a friend’s beauty, and tell yourself you are not even pretty?
- Do you compare yourself to a friend’s cooking, and tell yourself you can’t cook half as well?
- Do you compare yourself to how a friend dresses and try to copy her?
- Or compare yourself to how a friend does something and try to imitate her work?
Oh how well I know this snare!
Your identity is in Jesus and not in yourself or others!
Snares are traps that hunters used to catch animals but they are also traps that Satan uses to snare us.
Snares are dangerous!
If we get caught we must do whatever possible to free ourselves!
God is the One who has the power to free us.
He doesn’t remove our fear of disapproval we have of others but wants to transfer that fear to the right place.
God helps us face our false fears and place them at Jesus’ feet so they lose their power over us.
Look to Jesus because He has the power to free us from the fear of man!
Do you struggle with the fear of man? You are not alone. You can have victory over this fear! Would you like me to pray for you?
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