How much does what other people think affect the choices you make?
We call it by many names: people-pleasing, peer pressure, co-dependency, keeping up with the Joneses, or being an approval junkie. But Scripture gives it another name—the fear of man—and Proverbs says it is a snare.
And it may affect us in ways we don’t immediately recognize.
It can make us say yes when we should say no, remain silent when we should speak, cover for someone’s sin, compromise our convictions, or spend hours replaying conversations and wondering what someone thinks about us.
But how can we know when a normal desire to be loved and accepted has become the fear of man? And how do we break free?
There’s another kind of bondage we’ll look at today, too. Our culture talks constantly about freedom—the freedom to live however we want and do whatever makes us happy. Yet, Scripture warns that some of the things we call freedom can actually enslave us.
So, could something—or someone—you think you need actually be controlling you? And could something that looks like freedom be leading you into bondage?


