Question
I’ve come across this concept of ‘fearing God’ and have a couple questions: 1.) Why are we supposed to ‘fear God?’, 2.) How are we supposed to have a relationship with Him if we fear Him?
Answer
Why are we supposed to ‘fear God’? - Fear of God is intense respect. We need to fear Him because He’s HUGE and Dangerous. We tend to tame God down to someone we can control and put in our pocket, yet He can destroy the world in a word. It’s the same thing as having a dad that’s a MMA fighter (Mixed Martial Arts – Ultimate Fighter) or a SEAL Team member who can kill people, but his kids just call him dad and aren’t afraid of him in one sense, because he loves them and takes care of them, but at the same time know they don’t want to cross him. We know that God is powerful, yet He is so loving to us that we don’t focus on that part. But if we are being rebellious we need to realize that He can crack down on us in a hurry. That fear keeps us in line and reminds us that we aren’t in charge.
How are we supposed to have a relationship with Him if we fear Him? – The same way you would with a super strong and powerful dad. To you, He is loving and kind and plays with you and listens to you. But enemies need to beware. Your dad is so strong that He could tear them apart. You know it, they know it, but you don’t need to experience that part. However, that doesn’t mean you can treat your dad anyway you want. There are boundaries. Yet, because He is so loving and gentle and kind, you tend to not think about the tough side of Him and just fall asleep in His lap.
