The Fear of The Lord

March, 2007

by: Brock Bolde

The fear of man has plagued the lives of both believers and non-believers throughout the ages. There seems to be something within all of us that makes us prone to succumb to its alluring tendencies. If left unchecked, a person’s fear of man can thrust him headlong into a place of man-imposed guilt and uncertainty. The only way that a person can hope to break free from the clutches of its powerful grasp is to develop a stronger, more powerful fear of the Lord. Edward T. Welch in his book entitled “When People Are Big and God Is Small” writes this – “Since there is no room in our hearts to worship both God and people, whenever people are big, God is not. Therefore, the first task in escaping the snare of the fear of man is to know that God is awesome and glorious, not other people.” In other words, God must become big; really big! Fortunately for us this is not a problem for God. In the Book of Job, God asks Job some pretty pointed questions – questions that should cause each of us to ponder the greatness of God:

Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding, Who set its measurements? Since you know. Or who stretched the line on it? (Job 38:4-5)

Have you ever in your life commanded the morning, And caused the dawn to know its place? (Job 38:12)

Can you lift up your voice to the clouds, So that an abundance of water will cover you? Can you send forth lightnings that they may go And say to you, “Here we are”? (Job 38:34-35)

As you can see, God is pretty big and thus worthy of our worship and praise. There is no one that compares to Him in beauty, power, or majesty. He is altogether separate and altogether worthy of our awe and reverence. Proverbs 1:7 tells us that “the fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge.” The more you and I come to fear God, the more we see the foolishness of fearing anyone/anything else. “If you have ever walked among redwoods, you will never be overwhelmed by the size of a dogwood tree. Or if you have been through a hurricane, a spring rain is nothing to fear. If you have been in the presence of the almighty God, everything that once controlled you suddenly has less power” (Welch, p. 119).

As parents, we have the unique privilege of introducing our children to this really big God. So let me ask you – how are you doing at helping your children to grasp the magnitude of our God? How are you doing at teaching them about his omnipotence (Matthew 19:26)? His omniscience (1 John 3:20)? His omnispresence (Psalm 139:7-10)? Do your children understand that even if they fool you into thinking that they are the greatest son/daughter in the world that they can’t fool God (Galatians 6:7)? Do they grasp the fact that they can’t hide anything from God – not even their thoughts (Hebrews 4:13)? Do they get the concept that God knows their hearts and the intentions and motives behind their actions (Acts 15:8)? If they don’t, then odds are you are introducing them to a really small god; a god that is nowhere to be found in the pages of Scripture. As the song goes – “Our God is an Awesome God!” The more we teach our children of God’s attributes, the more prone they will be to fear Him (to be in awe of Him). This is our calling, may we be faithful to fulfill it in word and deed.