There is a lot of talk these days about phobias. Whether it is dogs, reptiles, certain places, or whatever it may be, it seems that everyone is afraid of something. However, the one phobia that does not really get talked about very often is a phobia called anthropophobia. What exactly is anthropophobia? It is the fear of people. People who suffer from this type of phobia may avoid large crowds, avoid eye contact, or worry excessively about being judged by others. This phobia should not be confused with social anxiety, however. Social anxiety is characterized by intense anxiety over social situations like going on a date or talking to a waiter. Anthropophobia is much more intense than social anxiety. So, how common is anthropophobia? Well, it affects 1 in 10 adults and 1 in 5 teenagers. Since this phobia is fairly common, it would be good for me to address how the Bible addresses this topic. I will like to say that having any kind of fear, except fearing the Lord, is sinful. God tells us in His word about 365 times for us to not fear. This is an explicit command in Scripture and that means any violation of it is sinful. I am not saying that this is an unforgivable sin nor am I saying that this is something that is easily overcome. I know full well how difficult it is to overcome a fear of man. However, if you take the Scriptures that I will be expounding in this blog to heart, then you will become more emboldened. First, I would like to be a little transparent with you. I struggle with this phobia to a certain extent myself because I actually do fear being in large crowds of people and I do excessively worry about what others think of me too. It is because of this that when I was younger I would go out of my way to make sure I please everyone. These days, however, I do not struggle with this as much. What changed me from how I used to be into what I am today? Well, when I actually thought about what God's word says about the fear of man, it completely revolutionized the way that I think. In Matthew 10:28, our Lord tells us,
"And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, fear him who can destroy both body and soul in hell"
One of my favorite lines in God's Not Dead 2 is when Grace tells her lawyer that she'd rather stand with God and be judged by the world than stand with the world and be judged by God. The reason why I like that line so much is because I often lack the courage to say it myself. Too often I fail to be bold when I should be. The reason I fail to be bold is because I worry about how I would look to others. But, I understand that I am not condemned because of my insecurities. I am still seen as righteous and holy because of my standing in Christ. In recent years, the Lord has made me bolder by impressing certain Scriptures onto my heart. For instance, in Matthew 5:11-12, Jesus tells us,
"Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of things against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you"
In this text, Jesus is not telling us that we will for sure be reviled and persecuted but that IF we are, our reward is great in heaven. This does not mean we should go out and cause ourselves to be persecuted because that would not bring glory to Christ. Elsewhere, Paul tells us to live peaceably with all people. However, it is because of this verse that we should never be afraid to speak the truth of God's word because even when people insult us or persecute us, the Lord sees everything. As a matter of fact, God is pleased when His children are bold enough to stand on His truth. John Calvin once said,
"A dog barks when his master is attacked. I would be a coward if I have seen God's truth attacked and would remain silent"
Our lives on this earth are only for a short time. This means that whatever anyone does to us is only temporary, but what God does is eternal. When you understand this fully, it should cause you to no longer fear man. Also, we must always remember that our Lord told us in John 15:18,
"If the world hates you, remember it hated me first"
A servant is not above his master and since we are servants of Christ, we are not above Him. He is the light and this world is plunged into darkness. We are children of the light, so naturally, the world will hate us because it hates Him. If you keep this in mind, it should help you understand why we should never fear anyone's judgment. The world's judgment of us does not matter because they are deceived and wicked. Only God's judgment of us matters and He is pleased with us because of what His Son did on our behalf. According to Romans 8:37-39, nothing in all creation can separate us from His love. If The Lord is for us, who can seriously be against us?
I would like to thank you for taking the time to read this blog and I hope that it gives you some encouragement when you deal with anthropophobia. I understand that this will not completely cure you, but hopefully, it will make things easier for you. If that is the case, then the purpose of the blog has been served. Please let me know what you think in the comments below and may the grace of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ richly bless you all!
-David Lee Chu Sarchet
Christian Mental Health Advocate
Check out the Christ-Centered Mental Health Ministry Website
Check out the other Christ-Centered Mental Health Ministry Website
"And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, fear him who can destroy both body and soul in hell"
One of my favorite lines in God's Not Dead 2 is when Grace tells her lawyer that she'd rather stand with God and be judged by the world than stand with the world and be judged by God. The reason why I like that line so much is because I often lack the courage to say it myself. Too often I fail to be bold when I should be. The reason I fail to be bold is because I worry about how I would look to others. But, I understand that I am not condemned because of my insecurities. I am still seen as righteous and holy because of my standing in Christ. In recent years, the Lord has made me bolder by impressing certain Scriptures onto my heart. For instance, in Matthew 5:11-12, Jesus tells us,
"Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of things against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you"
In this text, Jesus is not telling us that we will for sure be reviled and persecuted but that IF we are, our reward is great in heaven. This does not mean we should go out and cause ourselves to be persecuted because that would not bring glory to Christ. Elsewhere, Paul tells us to live peaceably with all people. However, it is because of this verse that we should never be afraid to speak the truth of God's word because even when people insult us or persecute us, the Lord sees everything. As a matter of fact, God is pleased when His children are bold enough to stand on His truth. John Calvin once said,
"A dog barks when his master is attacked. I would be a coward if I have seen God's truth attacked and would remain silent"
Our lives on this earth are only for a short time. This means that whatever anyone does to us is only temporary, but what God does is eternal. When you understand this fully, it should cause you to no longer fear man. Also, we must always remember that our Lord told us in John 15:18,
"If the world hates you, remember it hated me first"
A servant is not above his master and since we are servants of Christ, we are not above Him. He is the light and this world is plunged into darkness. We are children of the light, so naturally, the world will hate us because it hates Him. If you keep this in mind, it should help you understand why we should never fear anyone's judgment. The world's judgment of us does not matter because they are deceived and wicked. Only God's judgment of us matters and He is pleased with us because of what His Son did on our behalf. According to Romans 8:37-39, nothing in all creation can separate us from His love. If The Lord is for us, who can seriously be against us?
I would like to thank you for taking the time to read this blog and I hope that it gives you some encouragement when you deal with anthropophobia. I understand that this will not completely cure you, but hopefully, it will make things easier for you. If that is the case, then the purpose of the blog has been served. Please let me know what you think in the comments below and may the grace of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ richly bless you all!
-David Lee Chu Sarchet
Christian Mental Health Advocate
Check out the Christ-Centered Mental Health Ministry Website
Check out the other Christ-Centered Mental Health Ministry Website
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