Jul 11 Sat
Should I fear God?
What is the meaning of "the fear of the Lord"?
We must look for wisdom to learn and acquire the fear of the Lord.
“Fear” must not be taken in the sense that common usage gives it, servile fear. We are afraid because of a guilty conscience, or an attack from one who is stronger, sickness, or encountering a wild beast. This kind of fear is not taught: it happens because we are weak. We do not have to learn what we should fear: these objects of fear bring their own terror with them.
However, the real fear of the Lord must be acquired by obedience to the commandments, by holiness of life, and by knowledge of the truth.
“For myself, the only fear I can imagine is that of turning away from Love.
God Our Lord certainly does not want us to be inhibited, timid, or lukewarm about our dedication to him. He wants us to be daring, courageous, and refined. When the sacred text speaks of fear, I am reminded of a complaint we find elsewhere in Scripture, 'I searched for my heart's love, but found him not.'"
So, there is a difference between:
- Fear that treats God like a threat (or like a boss you obey only to avoid punishment), and
- Fear that is reverence and love, a fear of offending God’s love and of turning away from what is good.
The fear of God consists wholly in love of God, who wants us to obey his commandments. Man realizes the enormous difference between the Creator and the creature, between the divine holiness and the human fragility. Our love for God is entrusted with its own responsibility: to observe his counsels, to obey his laws, to trust his promises. Thus, we must learn to have fear of cutting our link with God by sin.
So, the fear of offending God gives us prudence –to seek the right way of acting– and serenity. It is a gift of God to fight against sin.
“He who continues to delight in wickedness, what wonder is it if he fears death and judgment? Nevertheless, it is good that, if the love of God does not restrain you from sin, the fear of hell at least should restrain you. For he who sets aside the fear of God cannot continue in a good life for long, but will rapidly fall into the snares of the Devil." (The Imitation of Christ)
“Show us, O our good Master, some way in which we may live through life’s most dangerous warfare without frequent surprise. The best way that we can do this, daughters, is to use the LOVE and FEAR given to us by His Majesty. For love will make us quicken our steps, while fear of the Lord will make us look where we are setting our feet, so that we shall not fall on a road where there are so many obstacles. Along that road, all living creatures must pass, and if we have these two things, we shall certainly not be deceived." (St Teresa)