Guard Against These

Pleasing man. Jn 12:43, 1 Thes 2:4, Gal 1:10. Why even worry about making friends by being a man pleaser.  Men are very hard to please because you aren’t ever certain what it’s going to take to keep them happy.  When you are a man-pleaser, you aren’t a God-pleaser.  When you please the Lord he makes even your enemies to be at peace with you, Prov 16:7.

Trusting in man.  Jer 17:5-6 w/ Ps 118:8-9.  The Lord said that it’s better to trust in the Lord than in man.  He said that a person who only trusts in men is cursed.  So trust in the Lord, Jer 17:7-8.

Fearing man.  Prov 29:25.  The fear of man bringeth a snare.  Look what it did to Saul.  Saul feared men, 1 Sam 15:24.  Fear God instead, Prov 14:26.  See what Jehoshaphat told the judges in 2 Chr 19:5-7.  If you fear men, then deal with the emotion of fear before you visit with a person.  Gird your loins with truth and then go in the fear of God.

Confiding in man.  Mic 7:5, Jer 9:4-5.  There’s coming a day when these verses will be fulfilled as in Matt 10:21.  If you don’t ever want to hear something you said repeated, then don’t tell it.

Conclusion:  Guard against these four things.  All of these can have very bad consequences.  Seek to please God instead of men.  Trust in God rather than in men.  Fear God rather than men.  And confide in God rather than men.  This is the best way to guard against these four things.