At times, I can be a very fearful person. I often get caught up in all the “what-ifs” of life. What if this happens? What if that doesn’t happen? What if they don’t like me? What if I get lost? What if I can’t find it? What if it all goes terribly? What if, what if, what if.

As you probably know, the Bible commands us not to live in this kind of fear. We have a God, a Heavenly Father who loves us and casts out fear (1 John 4:18). He has created us and formed us, redeemed us and called us by name (Isaiah 43:1). He strengthens us and helps us, and He never leaves us nor forsakes us (Isaiah 41:10, Deuteronomy 31:6). God is our light, our salvation, and our stronghold (Psalm 27:1).  He comforts us and gives us peace (Psalm 23:4, John 14:27). We are in Him. We have no need to fear.

So, how are we to respond to Bible verses like 1 Peter 2:17 or Matthew 10:28 that command us to fear and, of all things, to fear God? Doesn’t the Bible command us not to fear? And isn’t He a loving, redeeming, comforting God? Why do we need to fear Him?

To fear or not to fear? That is the question.

I think the author of Psalm 33 does a great job at clarifying what this “fear of God” really is-

“Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him!” Psalm 33:8, ESV

This fear of the Lord is a posture of being in awe of Him. It recognizes the power and might of our God and offers Him the reverent worship He deserves (Hebrews 12:28-29). This fear is not a heebie-jeebies, pit in your stomach, shaking in your boots type of fear. As Jen Wilkin once wrote-

“Worshipful reverence and awe, not cowering dread, define a right fear of the Lord.”^[1]

When we choose to fear God, when we choose to reverently worship Him, when we are absolutely in awe of who He is, we, in turn, begin to practice three things – humility, confession, and submission.^[2]

When we fear God, we first begin to practice humility. Everybody likes to believe that they are right. They like to believe that they’re the smartest, they’re the wisest, and that nobody is better than them. But when we see the truth, wisdom, and omniscience of God, we humbly realize that we are not as smart, wise, and right as we’d like to think we are. We cannot find wisdom and understanding within ourselves or in the ways of this world. True wisdom and understanding can only be found when we fear God and read His Word (Psalm 111:10, Proverbs 1:7, Job 28:28).

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.” Proverbs 9:10

As we gain more wisdom, knowledge, and understanding from reading God’s Word, we’ll start to notice the goodness and righteousness of God and the sinfulness and brokenness that is found in the human heart. Fearing God also causes us to practice confession and turning away from evil (Proverbs 3:7). And when we turn away from our sinful deeds, our iniquity is atoned for, and we receive new life (Proverbs 14:27, 16:6).

After we receive this new life, we then begin living in a new way by submitting to God and keeping His commands (Psalm 112:1). We are called to love and serve God and walk in His ways (Deuteronomy 10:12-13). In fact, our central purpose as the people of God is to obey Him.

“The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.” Ecclesiastes 12:13

Let’s go back to the question at the beginning. To fear or not to fear? Are we to fear what may or may not happen in our lives? Are we to fear certain possibilities or outcomes? No. We have a good, loving, and generous God who cares about us and protects us. He sent His own Son to die in our place for our sins, so we have no need to doubt that He will continue to take care of us regardless of the circumstances we may find ourselves in. 

But are we to fear God? Are we to worship Him in the way He deserves? Are we to humbly confess our sins and submit to Him by obeying His Word? Absolutely. And when we truly fear God, when we practice humility, confession, and submission, we will be blessed by Him-

“Blessed is the one who fears the LORD always, but whoever hardens his heart will fall into calamity.” Proverbs 28:14

^[1] Jen Wilkin, None Like Him: 10 Ways God is Different from Us (and why that’s a good thing) (Wheaton: Crossway, 2016), 12.

^[2] Ibid., 158.