Approval addiction…what do you think of me and why do I care?

Despite the fact that we live in a country with some of the deadliest animals on the planet, our greatest fears are to do with people, and not in the way you might expect. We don’t fear violence from other people so much as we fear their opinions. The most common fears plaguing Australians are social fears and they all stem from one single fear, the fear of being judged. The fear of public speaking, the fear of entering new social environments, the fear initiating new relationships…all of these fears are essentially are essentially the fear that people will see us and think of us negatively. But why do we care so much about the opinions of others…especially strangers?

This is a fear that is as old as humanity itself…in the Bible in the book of Proverbs written well over 2000 years ago is says “the fear of man is a snare” (Proverbs 25:29). This ancient observation means that other people’s opinions can hold us captive the same way a trap may hold a wild animal…and we’ve all experienced this. How many of us have been held back from doing things we love, saying things we mean or trying things we want simply because of the fear that someone may think poorly of us? How many people are trapped in or out of relationship by the fear that they will disappoint someone or be judged negatively for it? It is an invisible snare that can be every bit as serious as a steel trap.

But there is a way through offered by this same Proverb in the Bible. The Proverb reads “the fear of man is a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord will be safe”. The Bible promises that it’s possible to live for an audience of one (God) in such a way that it frees us from the need to find approval in people. To know His love is to find an approval that is secure and an eternal and unshakeable.

If this is something you’re interested in diving a bit deeper into, join us this Sunday as we ask the question: Do we need God to be good? (Details below)