FEAR

In the movies it is always the hero who appears to be afraid of nothing. They can even stare death in the face and appear to not be moved. I guess that’s one reason we see them as heroes for we all wish we could be like them. But, in the real world I would say it would be rare to find the person that isn’t afraid of something. Even those that appear to fear nothing, when alone with no one to impress, will have their fears.

In general, most of us fear a mixture of snakes, spiders, and bugs. They give us the ‘creeps.’ Jim Stafford wrote and sings the song, “I Don’t Like Spiders and Snakes.” I agree with him.

Fear, of course, doesn’t have to mean terror, alarm, fright, or to be afraid of. It can also mean to respect, to be in awe of, or to hold in reverence. While there is a sense in which we should have both kinds of fears toward God, it is the latter of these that should most describe our fear of God.

Let’s think, for a moment, about the fears we face.

First of all we can fear objects and circumstances. Basically, we fear the unknown. That’s why computers and technology scare a lot of us. They may say, “I have no desire to learn.” That’s often times just their way of saying, “I’m scared of things I don’t understand.” It’s probable that we’ve all faced circumstances that were scary in nature. We can, as well, fear the future. There are times when we wish we knew what the future may hold for us. However the Word of God tells us… “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?” Matthew 6:25-27

Further, we read in Philippians 4:6-7, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Another thing we can fear is men. I think this is one of the worst of all fears. The fear of man is going to keep many from heaven. One man I had spoken with on several occasions about his need for a Savior finally said to me. “I believe everything you say. But, if I do what you say, I will lose all my friends.” I said to him, “So what you’re telling me is they will be your friend as long as you’re going to hell. But, if you tell them you know you’re going to heaven, they will forsake you?” I added, “What kind of a friend is that?”

One reason King Saul was not the man God was looking for was because of his fear of men. God had told King Saul to attack the Amalikites and totally destroy everything. When Samuel showed up King Saul greeted him as if all was well and he had carried out the command of God. Samuel was not interested in his greeting, but asked, ‘How could you disobey the command of God?” King Saul replied, “I did destroy everything, except the best to sacrifice to God.” (Just like us he tried to justify his disobedience) That’s when Samuel utters the words, “To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.” I Samuel 15:22. Finally Saul owned up to his sin, “Then Saul said to Samuel, ‘I have sinned. I violated the Lord's command and your instructions. I was afraid of the people and so I gave in to them.’” I Samuel 15:24. I’m not so sure that his fear of man didn’t cost him heaven, but I know it cost him his kingdom.

Christ said, “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” Matthew 10:28. Christ also said, “If anyone is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His Father's glory with the holy angels.” Mark 8:38

The One we should fear is God. I think we should all have a very respectful fear for His power. Hebrews 10:31 warns us, “It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” Proverbs 9:10 also says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” I also fear God in the sense that I am in awe of Him. I have great reverence for Him. After all He is God! He is the Creator of the universe! He is the King of kings and Lord of lords. God said in Isaiah 42:8, “I am the Lord; that is My Name! I will not give My glory to another or My praise to idols.” I want to serve the Lord and no other. We read in Revelation 4:11, “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things, and by Your will they were created and have their being.”

Someone has said, “The fear of man is cowardliness, the fear of God is wisdom.” I agree with the preacher when he wrote, “Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.” Ecclesiastes 12:13.