Fear

Like so many factors in our lives there are benefits gained from the admission of a factor, and some negative meanings that we would like to avoid.  We are not supposed to live in fear, or anger, or other responses we count as negative, even sinful, and warned about in Scripture as possible enemies to our lives. We ought to warm to faith, health, safety, responsibility – or other affirmative factors.  There is fear that is beneficial (perhaps educational) and fear that is destructive (distracting or mesmerizing) so as to prevent constructive response to this or that experience we must face.  A fearful person lives a miserable life, seeing some negative occurrence around the corners threatening safety, perhaps life itself.  For some persons, fear is a way of life that makes their lives tentative, and often for persons related to them.  They need a light on before stepping into a dark room, an assurance of this or that so that they carry no risk into their lives. 

There is a gentle but firm fear that alerts us to action, generally related to the future and safety.  It is another way of expressing concern for ordered life, and we want it addressed.  If the fear is too great there is no way that it is going to be addressed: it is too overpowering.  Gentle fear causes us to put locks on our doors because we are instructed by authorities to do so to ward off unwanted invaders.  We rightly fear ignorance so apply ourselves to gain some education to become a mature person making better decisions for life.  I followed a regimen for diet and habits so as to avoid the affirmative fear (concern/discipline) related to ill health and premature decline.  Concern includes a factor of fear of being left out, or that wrong may win over right.  It is in this last concern that we are told to fear God.  It is in the sense of constructive fear (concern) that I sometimes choose one candidate in an election over another.  Even to vote for the more acceptable candidate to gain more than the less acceptable candidate.  Gentle fear that is the negative expression for decision making is an advantage for informed persons.  There is a factor, in constructive understanding of fear that causes responsible persons to plan for retirement and close of life.  These are controlled concerns (gentle fears), not destructive or addictive to irrational behavior, even imbalance.

It is in a positive sense that we are instructed to fear God, as greater than any fear that man can do unto me. The fear of God is antidote for other fears.  In this sense it is an affirmative matter to be understood in the context in which it emerges.  It is said that a man, long ago, sought a driver for his magnificent team of horses and expensive carriage.  He asked the applicants:  There is a cliff on the edge of my property – how close can you approach the edge and not go over?  One thought he would allow: Twenty feet.  Another said: Ten.  One said: Three.  Finally one driver simply answered: Sir, I wouldn’t think of going as close as any of these other drivers.  You’re hired: said the owner.  That driver interpreted the fear of the cliff in the same way as did the landowner.  The other men interpreted the cliff as a risky object of goal to demonstrate their own skills.  They would flirt with danger, but they might lose.  God may call on us for some of what man interprets as risk, but never when risk is unnecessary – as it was not on planned carriage rides. We may risk our lives to save persons from a burning building, even when we fear fire, but risk in such an instance does not belong in the definition of risk for the gambler.  The person facing a choice between evil and good has high reason for making any risk decision.  I would not take the risk of choosing other than the will of God for my life.  That gentle fear makes a sincere monitor of fear.  I rest in the inoculation of the fear of God as protection against all other fears, especially the fear of mankind – or of death. Our management of the fear factor enhances our freedom, likely lengthens our lives, makes us defenders of safety, both spiritual and natural, and has something to do with human maturation.  Note how easily it is for a child to become afraid, for screams and tears to flow, with flight to the arms of a loving parent.  The fear subsides and strength returns so to go on to better experience.  It is a fitting analogy that we follow a similar but studied perception of leaving our fears with God as our Father. It is one of the paradoxes of life is that the fear of God protects us from all other fears – when we feel obedient to God.  The godly person need not fear God.