Fear or Reverence?

During my studies in Psychiatry, the head of the department was a renowned professor in our country, with a physical presence that commanded respect and a personality that displayed contrasting sides. Everyone was afraid of him because they did not know him well enough, but those of us who came to know him loved him, for beneath that armor was a heart that yielded to love.

During one conversation, I remember saying to him, “I don’t understand why everyone is afraid of you.”

He looked at me, a little surprised, and replied, “What I don’t understand is why you don’t feel the same way.”

“If I were afraid of you, I couldn’t care for you, and I am very fond of you and admire you,” I replied.

He began to laugh, and those simple words opened the way to a sincere relationship, so much so that I was one of the few people who could tell him to his face when I thought he was not acting rightly, without any resentment lingering. There was a bond of fellowship between us.

He has already departed this world, and who knows whether, as death drew near, he remembered the Christ I once told him about and repented of his sins. That uncertainty still saddens me today, but I will only know when I reach the place I am going.

But the point is fear: when we say that we fear God, we are not talking about paralyzing fear of what we will receive in return for a mistake we might make, or of the punishment we will receive for feeling sad and not being content with what our Father has planned for us. The fear we feel is the fear of disappointing our Father, of not being worthy of the trust he has placed in us, of failing to meet expectations that are often our own, because he knows very well what he can expect from these fragile, imperfect creatures who cannot protect themselves. It is not the fear that he will cast us aside; it is the fear of inflicting more wounds on him than we have already caused, the shame we feel at the betrayal of showing the world a face that is not his. That is why the psalmist said: “The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom; all who practice his commandments have good understanding; his praise endures forever.” (Ps. 111:10)

Whoever walks guided by his hand has no fear of falling into a trap, because they know the way; their Father instructed them and gave them a map. If we know how to find our way, our fears will disappear, because we will show a life that honors him and gives him the glory.

Accept the challenge and cast fear out of your life. Only then will you be able to feel his love in all its fullness.