Worshipping God means to know, love, obey and direct all acts of worship to God alone. Obeying God entails that one should fear Him. A believer should fear God if he wants to be in a state of servitude and obedience.

This fear, however, is not the type of fear that is associated with being scared of an enemy, or an evil force. God is The-Loving and wants good for us.

 We fear God from the perspective of fearing losing His love and good pleasure.

We should want to obey God because we fear the spiritual consequences of disobedience. These include losing God’s special love; including breaking the connection we have built with Him through our acts of worship.

Disobedience is our way of running away from God’s mercy, and an absence of His mercy leads to a terrible abode of self-inflicted suffering

Whoever loves something must fear to lose it. Hence love cannot be without fear, for the object of love is something that can be lost.”

While fear of God entails fearing loss and the spiritual consequences of disobedience, God-consciousness refers to being mindful and aware of the Divine presence; He knows what we are doing and as lovers of God we should want to seek His good pleasure and love

Purpose of fear

If you study the Bible, there is no mistaking the repeated commands to fear God. Wise King Solomon put it this way in explaining his reason for writing the book of Proverbs:

[Proverbs 1:7]

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge”

Why is this ?

Consider these words of the psalmist:

[Psalm 110:10]

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all they that do his commandments; his praise endureth forever.

In Psalm 34 King David also tells us about learning the fear of the Lord:

[Psalm 34:11-14]

Come, ye children, hearken unto me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good.
Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.
Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.

A healthy fear of God includes the fear of the consequences of disobedience. There may be times of temptation or trial when we may forget some of the better reasons for obeying God, and that is when we had better think of the consequences

Reverence of God helps us to take Him and His beneficial laws seriously. Being in harmony with the spiritual laws that govern the universe has astounding benefits.

This is what Hebrews 10 tells us:

[Hebrews 10:26-31]

26:For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,

27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.

28 He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses;

29Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden underfoot the son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?

30 For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.

31It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Reverence of God helps us to take Him and His beneficial laws seriously. Being in harmony with the spiritual laws that govern the universe has astounding benefits. Many of these come in this life, but the greatest benefits will be experienced in the life to come .

[1 Timothy 4:8]

For bodily exercise profiteth little; but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come

 

[Psalm 16:11]

Thou wilt show me the path of life; in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures forevermore