The posh word for fearing other people is ‘anthropophobia’, and it can happen for all sorts of reasons. Perhaps other people are threatening us. The psalmists often spoke of the people who were out to get them. They seemed to be surrounded by people who were trying to trip them up and make their lives a misery. Fearing other people might also be based on our fear of what they might think of us. It’s very easy for our lives to be controlled by our desire to please other people. We can become fearful of what they might think of what we are saying or wearing, or where we are going. There is no doubt that it is easy for fearing other people to become a dangerous and depressing trap.

The writer of Proverbs provides an alternative. There is a way out. Rather than using other people as our reference point, we could turn to the Lord instead. When we trust him, we are entirely safe for a number of clear reasons. Firstly, God always loves us. However strong our relationship with other people is, they change. They have good days and bad days – days when they have time for us and others when they are far too busy for us. Secondly, God is eternal. Our human relationships are precious and important to us, but they have limits. They won’t go on for ever. God gives us the security of knowing that he will never leave us.

When we place our confidence in God and find him as our true source of security, it will affect every other part of our lives. The outcome will be that we discover that we don’t need to fear other people. As the psalmist wrote: “The Lord is for me, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?” (Psalm 118:6).

Do you ever fear other people? If you do, how could you handle the situation better in future?

Lord God, thank you that I have nothing to fear when you are on my side. Amen