DIG DEEPER
WHAT FEAR IS RUNNING YOUR LIFE?...
Not all FEAR is the same.
There is the kind of FEAR that shrinks our world, controls our decisions, and keeps us trapped. FEAR of rejection. FEAR of embarrassment. FEAR of mission out. FEAR of not being enough. FEAR of what people think. FEAR of losing control.
Then there is the FEAR of the Lord. That is not panic. It is not a terror that makes us hide from God. It is awe-filled reverence that puts everything else in its proper place.
The sailors begin with panicked FEAR, but the story moves them towards a FEAR of the Lord. Jonah says the right thing about God, but in complete opposition to his talk is a life that is out of alignment. That is confronting. If Jonah was able to operate out of such a misalignment, so can we. We can use all the right God-language yet still have a life that is ruled by something else other than God.
The question is not, “do I FEAR something?”, but rather “what FEAR is actually steering my life?”
A REAL LIFE PICTURE…
Imagine being on a bus where everyone is talking loudly, giving directions, and panicking. But one person is actually driving. FEAR works like that. Lots of thoughts make noise in our heads, but usually only one FEAR grabs the wheel.
REFLECT…
- Which FEAR most often grabs the wheel of your life – panicked FEAR or FEAR of the Lord?
- What do you do when you feel out of control – row harder, shut down, hide, over-perform, or blame?
- What would it look like to let awe of God become greater than the opinions of people?
- Where are your hustling, instead of trusting?
TRY THIS…
In your journal or a space that you can come back to, finish these two lines:
THE FEAR THAT MOST OFTEN BOSSES ME AROUND IS…
A TRUTH ABOUT GOD THAT ADDRESSES THIS FEAR IS…
HELPFUL EXTRAS
The Bible Project describes the FEAR OF THE LORD as a posture of humility before God that embraces His definition of good and evil, even when it is difficult or inconvenient. Their Q+R and Proverbs material also explores what it means to “FEAR THE LORD” in a wisdom-shaped, relational sense rather than as mere dread. Check out these resources here:
