Fear of the Lord does not mean we must tremble in terror every time we mention His name. Fear of the Lord means we respect Him, uphold His holiness, and live with full awareness that He sees and watches everything we do. But the question is, when was the last time we truly feared the Lord?
In this increasingly permissive world, many things once considered sins are now normalized. Even believers can be tempted to go with the flow, feeling “it’s okay” to compromise little by little. Yet, Proverbs 9:10 says, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” Without fear of the Lord, how can we possibly be wise in life?
Fear of the Lord is not merely feeling guilty when we do wrong, but also having the desire to avoid sin from the start. It is not about being perfect, but about having a heart sensitive to His will. Psalm 111:10 also affirms, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding.”
Unfortunately, many fear human opinion more than they fear God. We might be ashamed to pray publicly because we fear being labeled fanatical. We might remain silent when witnessing injustice because we fear being ostracized. But Isaiah 8:13 warns, “The LORD Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy; he is the one you are to fear, he is the one you are to dread.”
Fear of the Lord is the foundation of a healthy spiritual life. It is the highest form of worship because it shows that we know who God is: Holy, Just, and full of love. Fear of the Lord does not distance us from Him; rather, it draws us closer, because we know He is worthy of honor and obedience.
Perhaps it has been a long time since we examined our hearts again. Perhaps we have become too accustomed to living a spiritual life routinely without truly fearing the Lord. Today is the right time to ask ourselves again: when was the last time we truly feared the Lord?
