When Fear Leads, Faith Suffers
Key Thought | Fear traps us, but trust in the Lord frees us. What we fear shapes our decisions, but what we trust determines our lives.
Key Scripture | “The fear of man brings a snare, But whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe.” —Proverbs 29:25 NKJV
On November 29, during my regular Bible reading, this verse struck me deeply. It speaks directly to what I believe this generation is facing. Closely connected to the fear of man is another trap we often overlook: the fear of missing out. Lauren and I have seen firsthand how many decisions, big and small, are being driven by both of these fears.
Part of this influence comes from social media, but another part is simply our human nature.
The fear of man elevates human opinion to a place it was never meant to be. It makes it almost impossible to clearly hear the voice of God because it positions man—people, approval, opinion—as the functional god of our lives.
The fear of missing out lowers our view of God. It shrinks Him down to someone who may not really provide, bless, or guide us. FOMO reveals a lack of trust that God is good, that His timing is perfect, and that contentment in Him is better than anything we could chase on our own. It puts us in striving mode, trying to acquire blessing and happiness instead of trusting Him to provide them.
Both fears produce anxiety and unrest. They speed up our lives, cloud our judgment, and weaken wisdom. They muffle God’s voice and diminish the volume of the Holy Spirit within us.
But here’s the good news: trust in God is the cheat code to life.
And trust is never neutral; it is always being cultivated or lost. Many try to live spiritually without intentionally building trust with God and in God. You may know in your head that He has never failed you, but head knowledge alone will not break the pull of the fear of man or the fear of missing out.
What breaks it is learning to abide in Him, and actually doing it.
“But whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe.”
What a promise. Let’s build our trust in God, place Him on the throne of our hearts, and say a firm no to FOMO.
Prayer | Lord, expose every fear that competes for my trust: fear of people, fear of missing out, fear of the unknown. Teach me to abide in You and to build trust intentionally. Help me listen to Your voice above every other, and steady my heart in the safety of Your presence. Amen.
Reflection
Key Scripture | “The fear of man brings a snare, But whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe.” —Proverbs 29:25 NKJV
On November 29, during my regular Bible reading, this verse struck me deeply. It speaks directly to what I believe this generation is facing. Closely connected to the fear of man is another trap we often overlook: the fear of missing out. Lauren and I have seen firsthand how many decisions, big and small, are being driven by both of these fears.
Part of this influence comes from social media, but another part is simply our human nature.
The fear of man elevates human opinion to a place it was never meant to be. It makes it almost impossible to clearly hear the voice of God because it positions man—people, approval, opinion—as the functional god of our lives.
The fear of missing out lowers our view of God. It shrinks Him down to someone who may not really provide, bless, or guide us. FOMO reveals a lack of trust that God is good, that His timing is perfect, and that contentment in Him is better than anything we could chase on our own. It puts us in striving mode, trying to acquire blessing and happiness instead of trusting Him to provide them.
Both fears produce anxiety and unrest. They speed up our lives, cloud our judgment, and weaken wisdom. They muffle God’s voice and diminish the volume of the Holy Spirit within us.
But here’s the good news: trust in God is the cheat code to life.
And trust is never neutral; it is always being cultivated or lost. Many try to live spiritually without intentionally building trust with God and in God. You may know in your head that He has never failed you, but head knowledge alone will not break the pull of the fear of man or the fear of missing out.
What breaks it is learning to abide in Him, and actually doing it.
“But whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe.”
What a promise. Let’s build our trust in God, place Him on the throne of our hearts, and say a firm no to FOMO.
Prayer | Lord, expose every fear that competes for my trust: fear of people, fear of missing out, fear of the unknown. Teach me to abide in You and to build trust intentionally. Help me listen to Your voice above every other, and steady my heart in the safety of Your presence. Amen.
Reflection
- Where do you feel the fear of man or the fear of missing out influencing your decisions?
- What practical step can you take today to intentionally build trust in the Lord?
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