The fear of the Lord is a precious thing essential to the life of a Christian. Those who desire to follow Christ and grow in His character will do well to cultivate the fear of God and live in it.
Understanding The Fear Of God
Contrary to how some understand it, the fear of God isn't oppressive, like living under the fear of a dictator, where one feels like walking on eggshells. The fear of God brings freedom, liberty, and the perfect climate for peace, joy, and happiness. In fact, the fear of God itself is a protective shell that shields us from all sorts of wrongdoing, regrets, and the consequences of sin.
To help you understand this better, here are some ways the fear of God helps us in our daily walk as children of God.
1. Accountability
The fear of God reminds us that God sees, hears, and knows what we think, say, or do even in the dark – and helps us grow in accountability to God
Hebrews 4:13 tells us, "There is no creature that is not revealed in His sight, for all things are bare and exposed to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account."
When we fear our all-knowing and holy God, we become more open, authentic, and honest with Him. We know we can't hide anything anyway, so why bother to hide that sin?
2. Wisdom
The fear of God helps us make the right decisions all the time. When we fear God, we choose to do what is right before His eyes, things that please and honour Him.
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding." (Proverbs 9:10)
Simply put, when we fear God, we will want to avoid things that earn His anger and wrath. We will instead choose to pursue and learn about the things that please Him. We don't do this because we are slaves to fear. Rather, we do this because it is fitting as God's children.
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction." (Proverbs 1:7)
3. A Blessed Life In Christ
Many of us think that God benefits from us when we fear Him. What we fail to see is that we are the ones who benefit from it! Not only do we gain wisdom and become trustworthy in the eyes of God, we also receive tremendous blessings and honours for fearing Him.
Psalm 145:19-20, for example, tells us that "He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He also will hear their cry and will save them. The Lord preserves all those who love Him, but all the wicked He will destroy."
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