Fear God, not man

Psalm 118:6-9

Matthew 10, particularly verses 26-33. Those verses are better understood against the backdrop of the entire chapter: tho man will do his worst to me, he ultimately has no power over me because he cannot touch my soul, the very center and worth of my being.

Only God has this power to give life and take it away:

The Son, who put himself on a cross, surrendering himself to that torture literally every step of the way, even giving up his last breath; who was willing to and broke the eternal fellowship with the Father and Spirit, in order to descend into Hell for several agonizing hours and days on our behalf;

The Father, who was willing to reject his Son as He cried in agony for Him to find another way; who called his Son out of Hell and back to life; who will send His Son back to earth to redeem his people and send the rest to their deserved judgment;

The Spirit, who is in us and with us, our Counselor and Advocate; who gives us words to say when needed; who gives us courage and love that we can never muster on our own; who ministers to us moment after moment with almost no recognition from the very ones he is ministering to;

Fear these Three. Don't fear mere mortals who have forgotten that their lives are but a vapor and that their power is like fog that rolls in and out at a whim.

Fear God and pray compassionately for those who are blind to their own precarious and prideful position before the Maker of the Universe; pray that they will see themselves as His, not as their own.