Proverbs 29:25 “Fear of people will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe (set on high).”
In work settings, fear of people often shows itself as distance or a retreat from being present with others.1 We can call it being careful, staying professional, or not oversharing. Sometimes those instincts are appropriate, sensible and wise.23
At other times, the fear of people that leads us to retreat or distance ourselves from others is not so appropriate. It could show up as restraint and holding back in meetings, as staying vague about what we really think, or as creating distance after a tense exchange. The book of Proverbs reminds us that fear of people is a snare. A snare is something that restricts movement, and fear is like that because it traps us by narrowing the way we respond and restricting the possible.
Why might this happen? There are several possibilities. At times, other people’s reactions become the measure of our safety, and we begin to protect ourselves. In response, we hedge, soften, and keep our cards close, fearing what might happen if we are fully present and engaged.
At other times, we carry past experiences into the current workplace. Perhaps it is earlier losses, conflicts, or exposures that have trained us to stay guarded, even when the setting has changed. You may also recognise other ways in which fear becomes a snare for you at work. The forms differ, but the effect of fear is often the same, our presence with others looks more like distance or retreat.
Proverbs 29:25 offers an insight into a way forward, Fear of people will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.” The Hebrew here carries the image of being set on high, lifted to an inaccessible place. In this secure position, fear no longer has the final word. Notice the move here, the proverb takes us from an inward reflection to looking outward to the Lord.
Wisdom literature like Proverbs works by illuminating patterns. The fear of people traps us, while trust in the Lord liberates. The question is, in what sense can this be true? Proverbs does not tell us much about how this is achieved, as it simply describes how to live in God’s world in His way.
As we explore further in the Bible, we find that what Proverbs promises to those who trust in the Lord is secured in Christ.
Consider how the apostle Paul speaks about the outcome of Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension. He does not restate the proverb, but he does provide an insight we can apply. He shows us the objective reality that makes the proverb’s outcome possible.
Paul reminds us that in Christ we have been raised up and seated with him (Ephesians 2:6), and that our lives are now hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3). Paul aims to remind us that in Christ we are relocated. We are given a new position from which to understand ourselves and our lives.
Jesus is seated. Finished. Established beyond the reach of threat or loss. And our lives, remarkably, are bound up with his. The safety Proverbs points toward has been accomplished through Jesus death and resurrection and by the One who has now ascended and is now seated at the Father’s right hand. We no longer need to be held by the fear of others nor by the fragile scaffolding of our own performance. We are held by Christ himself. Our security is no longer something we must manage or defend because it has been established from above. We have been lifted out of reach. This is what it means to be “kept safe.”
And this safety is not something we feel our way into or talk ourselves toward. It is something already true, grounded in where Christ now is and where, by grace, we now are in him. Fear does not loosen its grip because we have finally mastered it, but because by His Spirit our hearts are drawn upward into a higher, firmer, more compelling reality. It is not fear being pushed out by effort, but fear being displaced as we trust Christ himself and he becomes more weighty, more real, and more beautiful than the fears that govern us.
From the safety Christ has already secured, fear no longer needs to dictate our movements. Our security is not something we manufacture or maintain. It has already been established, outside of us, in Christ himself.
And lest this sound like a pious withdrawal that creates further distance, the opposite is true. The security we have in Christ is meant to increase connection, not diminish it. It does not remove difficulty or guarantee positive relational outcomes. But it does free us to engage others differently and to reimagine what it means to remain present even as fear rises.
This does not make work simple or make all relationships safe in any absolute sense. But fear, as a snare, and the distancing or retreat it invites, no longer holds the authority it once did. That authority has been displaced. We are safe, seated with Christ, and our lives are hidden with him in God.
Living from this place of safety will usually be a slow and uneven process. It rarely looks like a once-for-all release from fear. More often, it takes the form of repeated, grace-enabled practices of staying relationally present as fears resurface. Grace secures our position instantly, but it takes a lifetime to learn to live it as being true.4
Questions to Sit With
I noted in the first post in this series how to approach these questions.
Here you are invited to choose your own adventure. Some questions are lighter than others. Choose one to sit with.
1. Where this week did I notice myself pulling back, going quiet, or creating a little distance at work? What felt at stake in that moment? Is it related to the fear we have been reflecting on?
2. Whose reaction do I fear most at work? Trusting that my life is already held securely in Christ, what might one small step look like this week to move out of the snare and toward that person?
© 2025 Roger Bray. All rights reserved.
While fear of the other can lead us to withdraw, distancing in relationships can also stem from broader pressures. People may pull back to manage emotional overwhelm, protect a fragile sense of self, or avoid conflict or shame, seeking relief when connection feels unsafe or unsustainable.
If you are experiencing bullying or need support for your emotional well-being, please seek professional help. This post is not intended to address these situations, nor is it meant to devalue the very important role counsellors and other professionals play in addressing them.
This is the first in a series on what it looks like to live from the Gospel at work. See the introduction to the series here.
I use AI as an augmenting tool to help me clarify my thinking, conduct research, assess my work, and serve as an editor. The ideas, ways of thinking, experiences, and stories are the result of my thinking through these issues. They are shaped by many authors, including, but not limited to, Keller, Pawlson, Rosner, Campbell, Aroney, Errington, Chalmers, Bowen, Cuss, and, most importantly, the biblical text, which I hope to exegete faithfully and is the final authority.