Garwood Presbyterian Church

Overcoming Our Fear of Rejection

Gideon's Faith and Failures

Judges 6:25-32, Proverbs 29:25, II Timothy 2:15

1. The "Fear of Man" Can Cause Us a Lot of Problems
   1. What the "Fear of Man" means.
   2. Gideon had this problem, Judges 6:27.
2. "Fear of man will prove to be a snare", Proverbs 29:25.
   1. Snare = what you catch an animal in.
   2. When we are afraid of people, we entrap ourself.
      1. We feel weak and cowardly.
      2. We feel like a failure and beat on ourself.
      3. We are ashamed of our failure.
      4. All of this depresses us.
      5. We also get angry at ourself for being this way.
      6. We become double-minded. See James 1:7-8.
   3. Most people have this problem - because of their childhood experiences.
3. Most People Deal With This the Wrong Way
   1. By becoming prideful.
   2. Or by using anger.
   3. Or by retreating emotionally and socially.
4. The Right Solution Based On Using Biblical Principles
   1. Cleanse yourself of your fear.
      1. Use the "9 R's": Recognize, Responsibility, Re-pent, Renounce, Remove, Replace, Resist, Re-joice, Restore. Replace your fear with your trust in the Lord, Proverbs 29:25.
      2. Seek other Christians to help you cleanse yourself of any emotional trauma.
   2. Seek only God's approval for your life, II Tim. 2:15.
   3. Find acceptance and social success among Christians. Nothing instills confidence like success!
   4. Step out in faith, especially at church, and use your gifts to become successful in working with and helping other people. Success breeds confidence!!