Ten Minute Bible Talks Devotional Bible Study - It's a Trap! | The Writings | Proverbs 29

Episode Date: October 28, 2024

Are you addicted to approval? Are you exhausted from the ups and downs of other people's opinions? How do we get out of the trap of approval? In today's episode, Keith shares how Proverbs 29 encourages us to live into the approval we already have in Christ. Read the Bible with us in 2024! This year, we’re tackling a group of Old Testament books traditionally known as “The Writings”— Psalms, Chronicles, Proverbs, Daniel, Ruth and more! Download your reading plan now. Your support makes TMBT possible. Ten Minute Bible Talks is a crowd-funded project. Join the TMBTeam to reach more people with the Bible. Give now. Like this content? Make sure to leave us a rating and share it so that others can find it, too. Use #asktmbt to connect with us, ask questions, and suggest topics. We'd love to hear from you! To learn more, visit our website and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter @TenMinuteBibleTalks. Don't forget to subscribe to the TMBT Newsletter here. Passages: Proverbs 29

Welcome to 10 Minute Bible Talks, where we connect the Bible to your life. In the time it takes to get to work. I'm Keith Simon. My guess is that, like me, you are an addict. No, I'm not addicted to alcohol or drugs, and I hope you're not either. But I am addicted to something that is just as deadly, if not more so. My name is Keith, and I'm addicted to approval. It's true.

I look for the approval of other people. I want them to think well of me. I want to be respected in their eyes. I want them to trust my motives. I feel like I need other people's approval to feel good about myself. Can you identify? Is there somebody in your life that you find yourself performing for, someone that you need their approval? I tell you what, anybody who is addicted to approval knows that it is exhausting. I might be the one admitting it today, but I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who is addicted to approval. I think that describes all of us to one degree or another. We want to be liked, we want to be accepted, we want to be respected, we want to fit in.

But here's the problem. The Bible calls it a trap. Proverbs 2925 says, Fear of man will prove to be a snare. Let's stop there for a second. The fear of man, that's the need for approval from others, the need to fit in, the need to be light. and it is going to be a snare. As Admiral Akbar famously put it,

it's a trap, and it's one we easily are caught into. You might not even realize it, but the more you base your life in other people's opinion, the more trapped you become. But how does this trap actually work? What are the ways that the fear of man snares us and pulls us away from the life God has called us to live? Let me give you three.

The first way the fear of man traps us is by leading us to compromise. We end up doing things we know or wrong just to please people or just to fit in. I mean, think about Peter. He's one of the disciples, and on the night Jesus was arrested, Peter was asked by a servant girl, aren't you one of his disciples? And in that moment, Peter knew what was right. He had just sworn to Jesus, he would never deny him.

But the fear of what people think, the fear of being rejected or punished overwhelmed him. So Peter compromised. And he denied Jesus three times. The fear of man led Peter to choose people's approval over his own. commitment to Christ. Now contrast that story of Peter with the Apostle Paul, who says in Galatians 110, am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? He writes, if I am still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.

See, Paul understood the trap of pleasing people, and he refused to fall into it. He wasn't willing to compromise his faith, even when others pressured him to do so. Paul knew that pleasing God mattered far more than fitting with people, and you couldn't do both. That's why he said, if I was trying to please people, I wouldn't be a servant of Christ. You can't serve both God and money at the same time, Jesus said. And Paul, it's kind of building on that principle by saying you can't live for the approval of people and the approval of God at the same time. Because when we live for others' approval, we compromise our integrity, our faith, our values, just to make them happy. So it's the fear of man that leads us to say yes, when we know we should say no.

It makes us deny our convictions, or avoid standing up for what's right or shrink back from boldness. We compromise who we are because we fear what others think about us. The second way the fear of man traps us is through exhaustion. It keeps us running on an endless treadmill, constantly trying to meet other people's expectations. And no matter how hard we try, it's never enough. Proverbs calls the fear of man a snare for a reason. It traps you like an animal caught in a hidden net. And no matter how much you struggle, you can't get free.

When you're addicted to approval, you're always performing. You're always trying to live up to other people's standards. But here's the thing. People's approval is a moving target. You can't satisfy everyone. You'll wear yourself out trying. It's like running on a treadmill. I mean, you're moving, you're working hard, but you're not actually getting anywhere.

The harder you chase after people's approval, the more trapped you feel, the more exhausted you become. The fear of man keeps you in a cycle of trying to be everything to everyone, and it drains you spiritually, emotionally, and even physically. The truth is that people-pleasing never leads to rest. It just leaves you tired and anxious and feeling like you're never going to be enough. Finally, the fear of man traps you by making you ignore the only approval that truly matters, and that's God's approval.

We get so caught up in what other people think of us that we forget that the most important opinion is God's opinion. Think about it this way. Not all approval is equal. I mean, imagine a sixth grader called me an ugly, smelly dufous. That wouldn't bother me, right? But what if my wife called me that? Well, I'd care more. Why? Well, because the more important the person is, the more of their opinion matters. The same is true when it comes to approval, and I think this is true for most of our approval addictions. It's not just about getting approval. It's about whose approval you're getting. But here's the reality. God's opinion of us is the one that matters most. He's the creator

of the universe. His opinion is eternal, unchanging, and true. Why do we care about the fleeting opinions of people who will forget what we said tomorrow? Why are we so desperate to please people who change their minds all the time when the God who knows us and loves us has already approved of us in Christ? See, Paul understood this. At 1 Corinthians 4, he says, I care very little if I am judged by you or any human court. Indeed, I do not even judge myself. My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. Paul didn't let people's opinion control him. He didn't even let his own opinion control him. He only cared about what God thought of him. When we live for people's approval, we're ignoring the incredible reality that God has already

accepted us in Christ. Through Jesus, we are forgiven and loved and secure. We don't need to work for anyone else's approval because we already have the approval of the only one that matters. so we know that the fear of man will leave us compromised and exhausted. How do we move forward? Well, Proverbs 2925 doesn't leave us trapped. In fact, it gives us the solution. Let's hear what the second half says. It says, fear of man will prove to be a snare,

but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe. The key to freedom from this trap is trust, trusting in God's approval instead of other peoples. When we trust in the Lord, we're safe, save from the constant need of validation, save from the constant pressure to conform, save from the exhaustion of running on the treadmill of approval. So how do we break free from the addiction to approval?

How do we stop fearing what people think and start trusting in the Lord? I think it begins with changing our focus. Instead of constantly worrying about what others think of you, ask, who does God say that I am? If you're in Christ, you're loved, you're chosen, you're forgiven, you're secure. Do you believe that? Are you still living as though other people's opinions define? you. Think about how often you adjust yourself to fit in. Are you making decisions based on what

you know is right, or are you letting fear of rejection steer your choices? Are you speaking up when you should, or staying silent because it's easier? These are hard questions, but they're important if you want to break free from the snare of people pleasing. It's also important to recognize that breaking free from the snare of human approval won't happen all at once. It's a daily choice to trust God. So start small. Look for opportunities each day to live for God's approval, even when it's uncomfortable. It might mean speaking the truth when you'd rather stay silent. It might mean standing firm in your convictions when others pressure you to compromise. As you begin to trust God in these smaller areas, you'll find your faith growing stronger. So ask yourself, what would it look like if I lived

only for God's approval? How would your life change? If you stopped caring so much about others thought, would you speak differently or act differently? What kind of freedom could you experience if you're no longer caught up in the snare of people pleasing? Finally, just pray. Ask God to help you trust him more. Pray for the strength to let go of other people's opinions and rest in his approval. The Holy Spirit is there to guide you. He'll give you the courage to live boldly for God rather than for people. Don't try to do this on your own. Lean on him. See, the fear of man is a trap. And if we're honest, it's a trap many of us have fallen into. We get stuck in the endless cycle of trying to make everyone happy, and in that process, we lose

sight of what really matters, which is God's approval. The good news is there's a way out. Trusting in the Lord leads to safety. It freezes from the need for constant validation. It freezes from the need to conform to other people's expectation. It freezes from the exhaustion of chasing after approval. So ask yourself, am I living for the approval of people or of God? and if like me you find you're still stuck in that snare, remember this. Jesus has already given you all the approval you'll ever need. Through him you're loved and accepted and secure. You don't have to chase after anyone else's opinion.

God's opinion is the one that matters most and he loves you. Trust in the Lord and you'll find the freedom and peace that comes from knowing you're safe in his love. No more traps, no more fear, just the freedom to live boldly for his glory. Amen.