Daily Stillness
Today’s Verse
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.”
— Proverbs 9:10 (NIV)
Who Are You Afraid of Disappointing?
The question caught me off guard.
“Who are you afraid of disappointing?”
I paused. Ten seconds felt like ten minutes as thoughts ran wild through my mind. Names flashed in front of me—family, friends, people I work with, people who look up to me. And then, almost surprising myself, I said it out loud:
“God.”
It felt good to say. Strong. Honest. True. But the second question cut deeper.
“How do you live that reflects you are truly afraid of disappointing them?”
This pause took longer.
Because saying “God” came easy. But living like I fear disappointing Him? That was harder to prove.
I replayed my week like a movie reel in my head. The moments I fumbled through conversations. The tasks I rushed through without prayer. The times I frowned when I should have smiled. The days I pushed Him to the side because I was too busy. The times I cared more about pleasing people than pleasing Him.
It stung.
Because if I say I fear disappointing God, shouldn’t it show in my life?
The Bible talks about the fear of the Lord. Not fear that paralyzes, but fear that reveres. Holy awe. Deep respect. The kind of fear that makes you want to get it right—not because you’re terrified of punishment, but because you love Him too much to casually hurt His heart.
That kind of fear changes things.
It changes the way you look at situations.
It softens your reactions to people.
It shifts how you approach your work, your relationships, your words.
But I realized… too often, my life reflects that I’m more afraid of disappointing people than disappointing God.
And people? They’re never fully satisfied. You can meet their expectations today and they’ll raise the bar tomorrow. Their approval is fleeting. Their disappointment stings, but it doesn’t define eternity.
God’s, though? His gaze sees past my performance. He looks at the heart.
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.”
(Proverbs 9:10)
That’s not just a proverb to quote—it’s a way of living.
So who am I really afraid of disappointing? And does my life reflect that answer?
Reflection
Fearing God doesn’t mean trembling at punishment—it means loving Him enough to let His opinion matter most. It’s choosing reverence over recognition. It’s deciding that the weight of eternity outweighs the weight of people’s expectations. When His heart is what we care most about, our lives begin to reflect it—in choices, in reactions, in the quiet moments when no one else is watching.
A Question for you
Am I living in a way that proves I fear disappointing God more than people?
Prayer
Lord, I confess that I often live for the approval of others instead of the approval of You. I say I fear disappointing You, but too often my life reflects the opposite. Help me live with holy reverence. Teach me to pause before I speak, before I act, before I decide—and ask, Does this honor You? Let my words, my actions, my heart reflect a life that is more concerned with Your smile than anyone else’s. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Share the Stillness
Know someone caught in the pressure of people-pleasing? Send this to remind them: God’s approval lasts forever—people’s never does.
