Helping our children and ourselves recognize and fight fear of man is a great shepherding skill. Kevin DeYoung has done an excellent job in asking some questions that would be helpful for parent and child alike.
- Do you struggle with peer pressure? Do you give in to things against your will just to go along with the crowd?
- Are you over-committed? Is it impossible for you to say no?
- Are you a people-pleaser?
- Are your relationships more about being loved and seeming lovely than actually loving others?
- Do you have low self-esteem?
- Are you easily crushed by criticism?
- Do you feel trapped by people’s praise, because you can never live up to their expectations?
- Are you always second-guessing yourself, worrying what people think about your decisions?
- Do you get embarrassed often?
- Do you tell little white lies to make yourself look better?
- Do you avoid people for fear of their rejection?
- Are you obsessed with your body?
- And if all these questions have missed the mark, then consider: When you compare yourself with other people, does that make you feel good?
Fear of man and seeking the popularity and approval of man is a huge issue in all of our lives. I plan to blog on it more in the future. But read the whole thing by Kevin for more comments on each question. Use this for family devotions!
