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Do You Fear God?

By: Gloria Calhoun, M.Ed.

What rules your life, the fear of God or the fear of man? Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe (Proverbs 29:25).

A person who fears God is one whose decisions are guided by God. To fear God means to take Him at His word, knowing that he will follow through on all his promises. 

Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised (Proverbs 31:30). A person who is ruled by the fear of man is one whose decisions are dictated by what other people think. Such a person is a people pleaser. One ruled by the fear of man will repeatedly base decisions on questions like, "How does this make me look? Do you think they'll like it? What if they don't approve?" It is certainly not wrong to ask for input from other people (indeed, it's wise to seek feedback from others); however, it is foolish for your decisions to be guided more by feedback from others than by feedback from God.

There are many verses in the Bible that clearly show the advantage of being someone whose life is guided by the fear of the Lord. Blessed is the man who fears the Lord (Psalm 112:1) Humility and the fear of the Lord bring wealth and honor and life (Proverbs 22:4). The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Psalm 111:10). He who fears the Lord has a secure fortress, and for his children, it will be a refuge. The fear of the Lord is the foundation of life (Proverbs 14:26-27).

If you want the fear of God to guide your life, then base your actions on questions like, "what does God think about this? Would God approve of this? or Would I do this if Jesus were right here watching me?" He is... He sees all!!

If you want your life to be blessed, let it be ruled by the fear of God. This fear is a sincere reverence for God. How much do you fear Him?

Excerpts retrieved from Church Bulletin March 8, 2009, Greater New Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church

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