Having the fear of the Lord within you does not mean to literally be afraid of him. Rather, it means to have a mature respect for God and his awesome might, and living accordingly.
Any good relationship is one where both parties respect, and love each other. You can’t love somebody without respecting them. God desires to be loved by us, and thus, respected by us as well.
Fearing the Lord is a call to be humble before him. It’s to live in awe of his great might, and acknowledging his we are unworthy to approach him in all his glory.
How can any us measure up to the one who holds the entire universe in the palm of his hand?
We simply can’t.
As such, we should always be knowledgeable of this fact. Don’t let your pride build you up to be bigger than the God of the universe (trust me, it’s not a good idea). God desires his subjects to be respectful, humble, loving, and always grateful for his abundant mercy. This will not happen if we don’t have a fear of God.
Jesus said, “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy soul and body in hell”.
Every well respecting child fears their parents punishing them, even if they love them dearly.
This is the kind of relationship that God desires to have with us.
We must be respectful to our Heavenly Father, and acknowledge our sinfulness before him. We must also praise him for his holiness and abundant mercy that he gives to us free of charge, thanks to Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross.
This is the Christian life: fearing and respecting God, and keeping his commandments. This is worship.
God bless, Jesus loves you ✝️❤️