A Fear of the Lord Beyond Fear

I was talking with some believers this past week about ‘fearing God.’ I’ve always wrestled with this. Not because I don’t think that God is worthy of fear – He is. Its just that most of the time when I hear what believers have to say about the fear of God it just comes down to being frightened of Him.

Now I don’t doubt that in our sinfulness, coming before the presence of God is a frightening thing. We see this in Adam and Eve, in Isaiah, and in the disciples. Because of our sins, coming face to face with God is a frightening event.

But here’s what provides such hope. God doesn’t want it to remain that way. In the case of Adam and Eve, He seeks them out! He shows them that He is still, even in their sinfulness, their provider. God also provides for Isaiah by bringing the coal to cleanse him so that Isaiah would be prepared to be the prophet that God wanted him to be. One of the most repeated phrases that Jesus tells people in the Gospels is ‘Do not be afraid.’

Coming face to face with God is a frightening event…but God does not seem content to leave it at that. He seems to want something else out of our relationship with Him. An understanding of God based solely on the fright that creatures have before the Creator is inadequate.

The normal description of the fear of the Lord that I’ve heard is that it is being awed with or respecting God. Now, much like being frightened by God, this is not incorrect as much as it is insufficient. I can be awed by someone and respectful from a distance. Nor does this awe and respect necessarily change who I am. But the fear of the Lord goes beyond this since the fear of the Lord is life changing.

So, I offer this as an understanding of the fear of the Lord. The other day, we were telling my son that he needed to take a shower before going to bed. His response was that he wanted to take a shower in the morning before he left for school. Anyone who has attempted to get a six year out of bed, fed, clothed, combed, and out the door understands the complexities of adding any additional events to this schedule – not to mention the bustle of other children in this mix.

Trying to graciously counter this request, we asked him why he wanted to shower in the morning. It was a simple answer. Daddy does. My son wants to be like me. Knowing who I am, that scares me to some degree, but it is what it is. In his world, to not do it the way that Daddy does it is the wrong way. There is a fear – albeit, at his age, irrational - in his little life that says that it should be done the way that Daddy does it because he wants to be like Daddy. He fears that doing things differently than Daddy is just not the way that things should be done.

Now notice how this goes beyond fright. Though there are times that I will use discipline to help him understand the best way to go, he’s not changing his shower schedule because he fears punishment. Notice also how this goes beyond awe or respect – he’s not just saying, ‘Wow…my Daddy is a great guy because he showers in the morning.’ No…this is something different that drives my son to fear what is different than what I do or who I am.

I would suggest this is closer to an understanding of the fear of the Lord. A mature fear of the Lord doesn’t cower before God in fright. Oddly enough, those who ought to cower before God’s justice don’t because they don’t know Him and those that do know Him have no need to cower because they have been justified. A mature fear of God goes beyond awe and respect at a distance.

A proper and mature fear of the Lord is one that says, ‘I want to do – think – feel – be such and such because that’s what my Daddy does.’ May we all look like our Daddy.

Categories: Thinking, Living

You're Going the Wrong Way

I think one of the funniest parts of any movie ever is in ‘Planes, Trains, and Automobiles.’ The movie features Steve Martin and John Candy as two men trying to get beyond a host of unbelievable events in an attempt to make their way home for the holidays. It’s a classic comedy.

At one point in the movie Martin and Candy are driving along the highway late at night. Both are tired and unwittingly lost. Additionally, they are driving the wrong way on the highway. Two people in a car on the other side of the highway roll down their window shouting to Martin and Candy that they are going the wrong way. Martin and Candy laugh about what the people are saying, thinking that they’ve been drinking. Candy has the classic line – ‘How can they know we’re going the wrong way – they don’t even know where we’re going!’

In a far more serious manner, the whole Ted Haggard debacle reminds me of this movie. Ben Witherington has an excellent post about how something like this seems so often to hit men in their 40’s and 50’s. His article got me thinking…

How is it that we get ourselves embroiled in these messes? How is it that we allow sin to so insidiously creep into our lives? What are we thinking when we in full rebellion towards God leap into sin that we know isn’t even close to His will for our lives?

Understand this – I’m not talking about Ted Haggard. I’m talking about all of us. We are all encumbered with the flesh and it wars against our souls – seeking to do things which are so clearly not how God would have us live. What are we thinking?

So…let me put myself out there. When I am in this state I’m going the wrong way. I’m not thinking about how my sin is so easily spread to every life that I touch (Haggai 2:10-14). I don’t think about the impact it will have on my wife – my children – the people I work with - the people who serve with me in my church ministry – my neighbors. I don’t think about any of these people. I’m going the wrong way

I don’t think about how the consequences of small sins have a tendency to grow far beyond their original measure – much like yeast. About how a fix of relief from ‘the new’ leads to a life imprisoned by materialism. About how a wandering eye leads to an alter ego that appears revolting even to oneself. About how the assuaging of grief with the pleasure of blessed food becomes an addiction as bad as any drug. I don’t think about these things. I’m going the wrong way.

I don’t think about how one day I will stand before my Savior, holding before Him the talents He has given me. Some I have invested well. Some I have not even buried but instead have selfishly spent upon myself. I don’t think about what my Savior will say then. I’m going the wrong way.

I find myself going in the exact opposite direction than I should be. Rather than looking ahead and seeing the outcome of what my sins will be, I find myself looking backwards - wishing that somehow, through my sins, I could return to days gone by. Return to days when I could spend indiscriminately without worry of payment because ‘someone’ would get me out of my debts. Return to days when the appeasement of my hormones was matched with opportunities for appeasement. Return to days when somehow my metabolism worked overtime so I could eat anything and still lose weight. But in all these pursuits, I’m going the wrong way.

Of course, when I look back on those days, I see the irresponsibility of my actions. Debt catches up and if people love you, they will eventually not bail you out. There are consequences to promiscuity. Metabolism is not a ‘get out of jail free’ card for an unhealthy treatment of God’s temple.

If I’m going the right way, I’m moving towards spiritual maturity. I begin to see life from a broader perspective. I see the consequences of sinful desires, bad choices, and dumb behavior – and hopefully, combined with the knowledge that the Holy Spirit can empower me to be Christlike, I will leave those things behind.

I’ve been challenged in all this – which way am I going?

Categories: Living