FEAR VS fear

The angst the man in the picture is feeling is perhaps fear. But it's not the kind of biblical fear I writing about.

It's simply not reverential fear.

"He's a God-fearing Christian," used to bring up an image of one who was scared of what power the Lord had, and what power the Lord would and could use on him. The image of the omnipotent God as a punisher made me think the God-fearer somewhat paranoid. You see the God I knew was forgiving. Was full of grace and showed mercy. Was there for me when circumstances of living crashed down on me. I knew Jonathan Edward's "Sinners in the Hand of an Angry God," but thought that the Puritans had no fun at all. What I'm saying is that I did not understand fear in a Godly way.

The fear of God is the one fear we should possess. A feeling of respect. A feeling of submission to a higher power. A feeling of awe. Those are the qualities of reverential fear. In Philippians, the Apostle Paul tells us we should be anxious for nothing. A popular catch phrase tells us to "let go: let God". In Psalm 27:3, David says, "Though an army besiege me, I shall not fear." That's the way we should be. Relying on God to be our sanctuary. Our safe haven.

So by relying on God. By constantly seeking Him. By not allowing other desires take away from our desire to have fellowship with God, we can show that we, too are God-fearing. "God hath willed His truth to triumph through us," a line from Martin Luther's "A Mighty Fortress is our God," and it's just as true today as when he penned it. Kind of like scripture, truth has no hands on its clock face.

It's great to have the feeling of fear-less-ness. But in order to do so, we must practice Fear, the reverent way.