Fear God, But Do Not Be Afraid

What do you think of God? Do you think about what He looks like? Do you ever think about how He acts? Do you ever imagine Him smiling and laughing with you? Maybe you have heard someone say that you should “fear God,” and that made you think God is mean and scary.

God does want you to fear Him, but not in a scary way. He wants you to respect Him, like you would a teacher, a coach, or a police officer. Police officers are around to protect you. Teachers and coaches are around to teach you what they know and to help you make good decisions. When they are in the room, you act differently and make sure you are on your best behavior. You listen to them and you do what they say. Right?

This is what God expects from you too. He knows what is best for you. Just like that police officer, He wants you to be safe not only for yourself but for those around you. Like that teacher, He wants to teach you what He knows. And like that coach, He wants to train you and make you into a superstar for His team.

Psalm 112:1 says, “Blessed are those who fear the LORD, who find great delight in his commands.” Fearing God means that you are happy to obey Him because you believe He knows what is best for you.

Don’t ever be too afraid to talk to God when you do something wrong or to ask Him for help when you need it. Always remember that God sees you, knows you, and wants to help you! You can’t do anything to make God love you more, but cheerfully obeying Him does bring you closer to Him.

Dear God, help me understand what it means to fear You. I do not want to be afraid of You, but I want to respect You. Thank You for teaching me and taking care of me. In Jesus’s name, amen.