There is something wonderfully unique about the way God created us. Psalm 139:14 reminds us that we are “fearfully and wonderfully made.” Our lives are meant to reflect both the awe-inspiring greatness of God and the wonder of His creation.
But there is another kind of fear that the Bible speaks about—the fear of God.
The fear of God is not the same as being terrified of Him. It is a reverent respect, a deep awareness of who God is, and a willingness to obey His Word. When we truly fear God, that reverence helps us turn away from evil and walk according to His will.
The Fear of God Helps Us Turn Away from Evil
The fear of God has a practical effect on our lives: it helps us depart from sin and evil.
Scripture connects the fear of God with forgiveness. Psalm 130:4 says:
“But there is forgiveness with You, that You may be feared.”
God’s forgiveness should not lead us to take sin lightly. Instead, His mercy should produce reverence in our hearts.
When we understand how gracious God is, we should desire to honor Him even more.
What Are We Afraid Of?
One important question we must ask ourselves is this:
Whom do we fear more—God or people?
Sometimes we know what God’s will is, yet we are afraid of what others will think.
Perhaps you know that you should openly follow Christ, but you worry that your family will reject you. Maybe you are concerned that your friends will distance themselves from you or that society will oppose your faith.
Fear of people can prevent us from obeying God.
For example, a person may know that baptism is an important step of obedience, yet refuse to take that step because of fear of family, friends, or society. In such a situation, the fear of people has become greater than the fear of God.
The same principle can apply to many areas of Christian life.
We may know what Scripture teaches, yet hesitate to obey because we are afraid of rejection, criticism, suffering, or even death.
Do Not Allow the Fear of Death to Control You
Fear of death is one of the deepest fears people experience.
We may seek medical treatment, undergo procedures, and receive help when we are sick—and there is nothing wrong with caring for our bodies. But ultimately, the believer’s hope does not rest in medicine, human beings, or earthly circumstances.
Our ultimate hope is in Christ.
The apostle Paul triumphantly declares:
“O Death, where is your sting?
O Hades, where is your victory?”
Death has lost its ultimate power over those who belong to Christ.
The Christian does not live without difficulties, sickness, suffering, or uncertainty. Rather, the Christian lives with a greater hope—the hope that belongs to Jesus Christ.
Jesus Is Truly Wonderful
Jesus Christ is wonderful.
He is not merely someone we learn about in church. He desires to become everything to us.
God has already done many wonderful things in our lives, and He continues to work in ways that we may not immediately understand.
There are moments when we pray and expect an immediate answer, but the answer does not come when we expect it.
Does that mean God has forgotten us?
No.
Sometimes God allows circumstances to unfold because He is preparing to do something beyond what we expected.
Remember Lazarus
Consider the story of Lazarus.
Lazarus became seriously ill. Mary and Martha sent word to Jesus about his condition, yet Jesus did not immediately come.
From a human perspective, it appeared that Jesus had delayed.
But Jesus eventually arrived after Lazarus had been dead for four days.
Why?
Jesus was not limited to merely healing Lazarus from sickness. He was going to demonstrate His power in an even greater way by calling Lazarus out of the grave.
What appeared to be a delay became the setting for a remarkable miracle.
This reminds us that God’s timing may be different from ours.
Sometimes we ask, “Why hasn’t God answered my prayer yet?”
Perhaps the situation has not changed.
Perhaps the healing has not come.
Perhaps the opportunity we have been praying for has not appeared.
But we can still trust God.
His silence does not mean His absence.
His delay does not mean His failure.
God is able to work in ways that are beyond our expectations.
Trust God When You Cannot See the Answer
When an answer to prayer seems delayed, we can become discouraged.
But faith means continuing to trust God even when we cannot yet see what He is doing.
Instead of allowing fear to control us, we can surrender our circumstances to the Lord and say:
“Lord, I trust Your timing. I trust Your wisdom. I trust Your purposes.”
God delights in doing what seems impossible to us.
The Bible repeatedly reminds us that nothing is impossible with God.
Therefore, when we face an impossible situation, our first response should not be fear.
It should be faith.
Let Jesus Become Everything to You
The Christian life is ultimately about Jesus.
Jesus should not be one part of our lives among many competing priorities. He should become the center of our lives.
When Christ becomes the center, our perspective changes.
Fear begins to lose its power.
People’s opinions become less important than God’s approval.
Earthly circumstances no longer determine our hope.
Even death cannot separate us from the eternal hope we have in Christ.
That is why we can worship God with confidence and joy.
A Final Encouragement
Dear friend, if you are facing an impossible situation today, do not give up.
If your prayer has not yet been answered, continue to trust God.
If you are facing rejection because of your faith, remember whom you belong to.
If you are struggling with fear, ask God to give you a deeper reverence for Him.
And if you are facing uncertainty about the future, remember that Jesus Christ is still wonderful, powerful, and faithful.
Our God is able to do what we cannot do.
He can make a way where there appears to be no way.
He can turn a delay into a testimony.
He can bring hope into hopeless circumstances.
So let us fear God rather than people, trust Him rather than our circumstances, and keep our eyes fixed on Jesus Christ.
The Lord is good. Taste and see that He is good.
Whatever you are facing today, place it in His hands and continue to trust Him.
Jesus Christ is wonderful—and He is worthy of our complete trust, worship, and obedience.
