The Lord has used some unusual texts in my life to help me begin to overcome the fear of men. One of those texts is Isaiah 51:12 where God says, “I, I am he that comforts you; who are you that you are afraid of man who dies, of the son of man who is made like grass?” Doesn’t that strike you as strange when he says, “Who are you that you are afraid?”

The meaning is that God regards fear of men as a manifestation of pride. When we say, “Who do you think you are, barging in here like that,” we mean, “You are presumptuous and arrogant to barge in here.” So when God says, “Who are you that you fear mere men,” he means, “You are presumptuous and arrogant to be afraid of men.”

Now I had never thought of my being afraid to witness, or my being afraid to risk some kind of embarrassment, as a sign of pride. It felt like a weakness, and who is proud of weaknesses? But now this text has helped me see my fears in a new light.

You can read the full article on www.growupspiritually.com.ng/2017/09/13/the-pride-of-being-afraid/