Fear of Man

Prov 29:25

25 The fear of man brings a snare,
But whoever trusts in the LORD shall be safe.
NKJV

Character fault du jour. This one is in my face a lot the last 3 months. The desire for approval of man. Trying to get my need for acceptance and identity apart from Jesus. Painful. Absolutely fruitless. (if you notice, for the most part, people will NOT accept you as you are) This last 3 months was not only a time of further tearing down....Jesus has to get the rubble out of the way, but of getting me to see who He created me to be. He had a plan. "From before the foundations of the world".... He planned each of my days. Before I was in my mother's womb, He knew me.
When we're young, we find that people do not like traits that God gave us. I think it's because, to deal with them, they have to look at their own lack in some area. If I'm compassionate, and your not, you may feel guilt when I am operating in that, and as a result try to shut it down in me, so you don't have to feel bad. (there are also legitimate rough edges than God needs to "file" down on our character, so I'm not talking about the negative traits.)
I think this is how we lose parts of ourselves that God created us to be over time as we grow up. School teaches us very quickly that to behave in a certain way, wear certain clothes, hang with certain people creates an acceptable identity. When we come to the Lord, He has to burn all that away.
So here I stand....asking myself the question..."who am I, Lord?" A great question He is very pleased to answer, now that I want to know who He says I am.
So today for you also....
Through repentance and acceptance of Jesus' atonement, you are accepted, fully and unconditionally. This is the foundation for all future growth. If we don't get that...we won't be able to receive the rest.
Accept what Jesus paid such a high price for. He didn't die so that you could then work to earn His favor. He could have simply left for heaven without suffering if that were the case. He satisfied God's justice. That means your free.
He wants to show you who He made you to be. He had a great idea about you, that the world has warped, and tried to remold into something so watered down, so ineffectual, so hardened to His reality. No, you were made to walk in the power of God. So reject the thoughts that tell you anything else than what you are. You are God's own child. Precious and treasured. Grafted into the family of God. Our identity is in Him alone. Being a parent, a spouse, a pastor, a CEO or janitor...all are just assignments, not who we are. You are the Beloved of God. Amen!