Prverbs29:25

The fear of man is a snare,
but the one who trusts in the Lord is protected.

Another snare for us and another way to get out from under God's protection. This one draws us out with the lie that other people have final say in our happiness, well being, fulfillment and purpose. Sure, another person's behavior is able to make us happy or miserable for a brief period, but the God the only one who is able to sustain us without ever wavering. By fearing man we may or may not achieve short term results, but by fearing God we can develop an unshakable source of confidence, hope and optimism that is not dependent upon how the clerk at the department store treats us or even how a close family member treats us. Not only that, we will also have greater success in our relationships with other people if we ultimately fear God rather than them. This takes the pressure off of the other person and also takes away the temptation for them to try to manipulate us using their opinion of us as collateral.