Friday Fight 145: Fundamental Fear

Every Friday, when I wake and pray, God places something on my heart to help me fight darkness beginning in our minds. Today is FF145.

If someone mentions the word fear or being afraid, we could immediately list things that send chills down our spines. Some of us would stand frozen if we are experiencing heights, spiders, small spaces, or perhaps something deeper, like not wanting to be alone. What immediately comes to mind if we look at fear from a spiritual perspective?

Fundamental Fear:

The term fear is used over 300 times in the Bible and possibly more, depending on the translation. The various forms of this word range in applications, but the most important one is our fear of God. Yes, you read that correctly! Psalm 33:8 says, "Let all the earth fear the Lord, let all the people of the world revere him." Let’s look at our reverence of Him a little closer.

Fearing God is a theological imperative because it dictates our spiritual growth, but we need to unpack its application a little further. Fearing God is not cowering in a corner because we are alone at night and hear a door slam. Fear of God is about respecting His perfect character and integrity and not wanting to disappoint Him with our poor choices and selfish actions.

As a Christian, the role of the Holy Spirit is to speak truth into our lives and guide us according to the Word. The Holy Spirit is a gentleman who patiently waits for us to adhere to His voice, even in warnings and corrections. The closer we are to God and the more we walk in the character of Christ, the more sensitive we become to the Holy Spirit's leading. Graciously this still, small voice will gently speak prior to us compromising our Christian character and integrity in hopes we will listen. When we are obedient to these alerts, through God’s mercy, we draw closer to Him. When we turn away from these convictions, we slowly diminish our reverence (fear) of God. When we ignore the Holy Spirit's guidance, we distance ourselves from God, and His authority in us diminishes. It may sound cliché, but the more we ignore the leading of the Holy Spirit, the easier it becomes to ignore the voice of the Holy Spirit completely.

How can our lack of fear for God impact our spiritual lives? God created us and has an incredible plan; He is our Heavenly Father of strength and mercy. He sent His Son to sacrifice His life for our ability to have eternal life. The Holy Spirit accompanies us by speaking truth into our lives and guiding us according to God's perfect character. Ignoring these warnings means we become spiritually infectious, resulting in a skewed perspective of God and His power.

When we fear God in a holy way, meaning in our complete awe and reverence for Him, our fear of everything diminishes. In our obedience to God, we receive blessings of peace and joy, and fearing God is the beginning of wisdom. In our disobedience and lack of reverence for our Creator, we become fearful of everything else.

God is love, and He wants a loving relationship with us. When we draw closer to Him, we find Christ, and our lives are forever changed. If this concept is familiar or needs revisiting, share any concerns with a friend or prayer partner and ask God for help. Let's lift each other up in prayer and ask our Creator to increase this fundamental fear we desperately need to experience the fullness of our loving Heavenly Father!

Pastor Shannon

New Life Calvert