Fear

What is a godly perspective on fear? I had a brief discussion of this in one of my classes today. We didn't take the time to really get into it, but I think it is an important discussion.

Fear is something that affects our every day lives, whether it is fear of man, fear of the future, fear of snakes, dark, the number 13, or (hopefully) the fear of God. We all have a number of fears, some more rational than others. So, how should we, as Christians, deal with fear?

This is a subject that I've thought about quite a bit, on and off, through my life. When I was a camp counselor, my campers often asked, "What does it mean to fear God?" And slowly, I began to formulate an answer that satisfied my understanding of God and the Bible. Reading Welch's book When People are Big and God is Small also served to increase my understanding in this area. The Bible has hundreds of references to fear. Here are some to consider:

Psalm 27:1
The LORD is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?

Psalm 56:3
When I am afraid, I will trust in you.

Psalm 76: 7
You alone are to be feared. Who can stand before you when you are angry?

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.


Patrick McManus has a theory he calls "the worry box." Everyone has a worry box (or fear box for our discussion) in which they keep various trifling worries: "What if I'm late for school/work/etc.?" "What if I slip on the ice and break my leg?" "What if I fail this test?" "What if my child gets suspended?" and so on. There is only room enough in the box to hold a certain amount of worry/fear. However, when you enter certain situations, all your various worries/fears are summarily dumped out of the box to make room for one engulfing worry, "Leaping lizards! There's a spitting cobra staring in my face!" With that one overpowering fear, all the other fears are forgotten as if they were nothing. I think that's sort of how our fear of God should be. With the thought of God on our mind, the knowledge that He and He alone is truly worthy of fear (and He loves us!), how can there be room for any other little trifling fears?

So, the proper response to fear? Focus on God. Meditate on His attributes: His love and mercy as well as his truth and justice. Find comfort in the fear of God.