Who Taught Me to Fear?
In love there can be no fear, but fear is driven out by perfect love: because to fear is to expect punishment, and anyone who is afraid is still imperfect in love. 1 John 4:18, Jerusalem.
Perhaps millions of people have bowed down on their knees in sincere prayer to the God of the universe . . . but for a terribly wrong reason. Fearful at having discovered flaws and stupid choices in their lives, they have a deep inner dread that a powerful and righteous God is going to do to them what they deserve. That He is going to punish them, inflicting some kind of pain on them to show His extreme displeasure. And they fear Him.
Fear-that anxious dread of pain to come-makes people pay attention. It starts their adrenaline flowing, and they begin to negotiate with God. Maybe they can give larger offerings or serve on a church committee. Perhaps if they pray longer, with a tighter feeling in their throat and more sweat on their palms, they can appease God’s anger. Or maybe they can throw some good deeds onto the other side of the scale and make up for the bad deeds.
In fact, the fear of God’s punishment produces so many “good” behaviors that it lets us overlook how unhealthy fear really is. To begin with, fear is a physical destroyer, pumping stomach-eating acids and inducing nerve-wrenching anxiety. Fearful people live tense, risk-averse lives, flying at very low altitudes and missing the greater adventures of being alive.
What is more, fear is the poorest form of motivation for doing good things. It keeps us from seeing that right choices carry their own rewards. Fearful people become victims of whoever makes the loudest threats of pain. And fear blinds us to the presence of genuine unconditional love. We can’t get close to people we fear. When we fear failure, rejection, or loss, we end up missing some of life’s greatest joys and adventures.
Most tragically, fear of God is a primitive, immature, wholly unnecessary, and soul-destroying response to Him. He is our teacher, not our slave driver. God unfolds reasons across our understanding rather than cracking whips across our backs. Truly knowing Him-knowing His love-drives out all fear.
How do you see God? As someone to fear? a judge? a shepherd? If you were to paint a picture of God, what would you depict?
Perhaps millions of people have bowed down on their knees in sincere prayer to the God of the universe . . . but for a terribly wrong reason. Fearful at having discovered flaws and stupid choices in their lives, they have a deep inner dread that a powerful and righteous God is going to do to them what they deserve. That He is going to punish them, inflicting some kind of pain on them to show His extreme displeasure. And they fear Him.
Fear-that anxious dread of pain to come-makes people pay attention. It starts their adrenaline flowing, and they begin to negotiate with God. Maybe they can give larger offerings or serve on a church committee. Perhaps if they pray longer, with a tighter feeling in their throat and more sweat on their palms, they can appease God’s anger. Or maybe they can throw some good deeds onto the other side of the scale and make up for the bad deeds.
In fact, the fear of God’s punishment produces so many “good” behaviors that it lets us overlook how unhealthy fear really is. To begin with, fear is a physical destroyer, pumping stomach-eating acids and inducing nerve-wrenching anxiety. Fearful people live tense, risk-averse lives, flying at very low altitudes and missing the greater adventures of being alive.
What is more, fear is the poorest form of motivation for doing good things. It keeps us from seeing that right choices carry their own rewards. Fearful people become victims of whoever makes the loudest threats of pain. And fear blinds us to the presence of genuine unconditional love. We can’t get close to people we fear. When we fear failure, rejection, or loss, we end up missing some of life’s greatest joys and adventures.
Most tragically, fear of God is a primitive, immature, wholly unnecessary, and soul-destroying response to Him. He is our teacher, not our slave driver. God unfolds reasons across our understanding rather than cracking whips across our backs. Truly knowing Him-knowing His love-drives out all fear.
How do you see God? As someone to fear? a judge? a shepherd? If you were to paint a picture of God, what would you depict?
Used by permission of Health Ministries, North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists.
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