Fear God, Love People

 Scripture:

“Then Saul admitted to Samuel, “Yes, I have sinned. I have disobeyed your instructions and the Lord’s command, for I was afraid of the people and did what they demanded.” ‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭15‬:‭24‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Samuel had confronted Saul for his disobedience to the complete word of the Lord. He had partially obeyed the Lord, but not completely. His excuse for partial obedience was “I was afraid of the people and did what they demanded.” The fear of what people thought was stronger than his fear of God.

Application:

This is a battle every leader will face. Most ministers get into ministry because they love people. The same love for people and wanting them to like us, can cause us to not fully obey the Lord. We must be careful as ministers of the Lord that we don’t fear people over fearing God. We must do what God says above all else. Sometimes that will mean saying hard things to people we love. We must fear God over people.

Prayer:

Father, I know there are times when I fear losing people or offending people because I love them. Empower me to fear You more than any person. Help me to walk in the fear of the Lord in a healthy manner. Teach me to honor You first and love people. Show me how to walk that path of loving people and obeying God.

Yours,

Jeff