How Can I Fear God And Love Him Too?

“To fear God is not to shrink back from Him in terror. To fear God is to have a deep reverence for Him, and to stand in awe at His holiness and majesty and power and love. Only then will we love and serve and worship Him as we should.” ~ Billy Graham

I once heard a powerful story, a story that helped me understand how loving God and fearing Him are interwoven. There was a pastor that was caught looking at child pornography and was put in jail. A friend of his went to visit him in prison and asked him a bold question, “what happened? Did your love for God grow cold?” The pastor responded soberly, “oh no, my love for God never changed. I simply stopped fearing God.” This pastor’s response is so powerful because it shows how important it is to not only love God but to fear Him as well.

As Christians, we must not only love God but also have a holy fear of Him.

If we aren’t careful, like the pastor in the story above, we can become deceived in thinking that our love for God is enough to keep us from sin. The person who fears God, will know that he cannot hide from God, and hence, will fear God as well. However, many Christians do not fully understand what it means to “fear God.” The word “fear” confuses many. To fear God does not mean to be afraid of Him.

The way that I have been able to understand what fear of the Lord means is to replace the word “fear” with other words like “respect,” or “honor,” or “reverence.”

Fearing God means you are acutely aware of His holiness, His power, and His presence at all times. God is omnipresent, which means He is present everywhere. If you believe that God exists and that He lives within you (Romans 8:9), then you would have to agree that God sees you at all times. He knows your thoughts, and He knows your heart. It’s impossible to escape God. This is what fear of the Lord means. It means having a holy awe, an amazement that a powerful loving God lives within you, and sees your thoughts and your heart.

God dwells within us! He’s Emmanuel, God with us.

This truth about the nearness of our Heavenly Father brings security and comfort to our souls. The realization of how deeply we are loved by God strengthens our intimacy with Him which puts a desire within us to love and honor Him with our lives. Loving God and fearing God leads us to living a fruitful life.

It is the fear of the Lord that helps us with our sinful nature. Whether we are struggling with temptation, or we aren’t following one of His commandments, being aware of God’s presence motivates us to live a pure life, a life of integrity. As Christians, we are called to live for Christ, just as Galatians 2:20 states, “My old self has been crucified with Christ.It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.“

The fear of the Lord is an awareness that everything we do, think or keep in our hearts is done onto the Lord because we love Him and we have a desire to please Him.

If we truly love Jesus, we will want to obey Him (John 14:15). Jesus said, “Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them” (John 14:21). At all times we must have a sensitivity to how close God is. This is what fearing God is. It’s the ultimate respect for an Almighty Holy God that is alive and with us. He is a good Father that takes good care of us.

We can learn from the pastor in the story above that it’s a deception to think that God will not be strict with those He has chosen to be His children. God is both merciful and stern.

Ephesians 5:6 tells us, “Don’t be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the anger of God will fall on all who disobey him.” God is kind, but He is also tough. The Bible says God is a jealous God (Deuteronomy 4:23-24). He is jealous for us and will not allow His beloved ones to get away with ungodly actions. He disciplines those He has called and loves. In John 15:6 He reminds us that “Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers.” It’s for our good to pay attention to verses like this. We must never make light of the Lord’s discipline. “The Lord disciplines those He loves, and He punishes each one He accepts as His child” (Hebrews 12:5-6). This is what fear of the Lord means. It means believing in every aspect of God’s character.

Jesus is alive and what His word says is true. We must learn to submit to His word, live in obedience and be in constant awe of His holiness.

God desires intimacy with you, and having a holy fear of Him will enhance your relationship with Him and prevent you from living a wretched life. Exodus 20:20 (MSG), says “Don’t be afraid. God has come to test you and instill a deep and reverent awe within you so that you won’t sin.” God wants us to be aware that He, a loving Father, watches over His children. We are dearly loved by Him and He desires a personal relationship with us that is rich and satisfying. This is why it’s important to both love God and fear Him too. It’s for our good. If we don’t grasp the importance of loving God and fearing Him, we will live reckless lives.

May our hearts always be receptive to the Lord’s leadership and lordship. May we never allow our love and our reverence for Him get cold. It’s our love for Him that translates into fearing Him. Loving God and fearing Him are interwoven. It’s important to not only love God but to have a holy fear of Him as well. When we live our lives honoring God this way, He gives us life in its fullness, till it overflows.

“Fear of the Lord leads to life, bringing security and protection from harm.“~ Proverbs 19:23