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The Big Question: Should We Fear God?

The Old Testament is full of displays of God’s power—protecting Daniel in the lions’ den, the parting of the Red Sea, the ten plagues of Egypt. These feats are incredible. When reading about them, it’s hard not feel a sense of awe… and fear. Because a power like that can be terrifying. But if God is a God of love—of forgiveness—should we fear him? It’s a question that great thinkers, authors, and religious figures have been asking for centuries.

The Old Testament is full of displays of God’s power—protecting Daniel in the lions’ den, the parting of the Red Sea, the ten plagues of Egypt. These feats are incredible. When reading about them, it’s hard not to feel a sense of awe… and fear. Because a power like that can be terrifying. But if God is a God of love—of forgiveness—should we fear him? It’s a question that great thinkers, authors, and religious figures have been asking for centuries.

A child and parent performing a trust fall.

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Jerry Bridges, author of The Joy of Fearing God

“We cannot separate trust in God from the fear of God. We will trust Him only to the extent that we genuinely stand in awe of Him.”


A close up of a young girl looking up at the sky.

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Pope Francis

“The fear of the Lord, the gift of the Holy Spirit, doesn’t mean being afraid of God, since we know that God is our Father that always loves and forgives us… [It] is no servile fear, but rather a joyful awareness of God’s grandeur and a grateful realization that only in him do our hearts find true peace.” 

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A winding path through nature.

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Proverbs 9:10 (KJV)

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.”


Book pages in the form of a heart.

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JoHannah Reardon, author of No More Fear

“Fearing God keeps us from fearing anything else. Because God also loves perfectly, we can trust him and know that one so powerful will conquer all else that we fear in the world. Perfect love balances fear.”  


Two pairs of hands holding each other.

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Saint Francis de Sales

“We must fear God out of love, not love Him out of fear.”

A man observing a starlit night.

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Charles H. Spurgeon, preacher 

“The most spiritual and sanctified minds, when they fully perceive the majesty and holiness of God, are so greatly conscious of the great disproportion between themselves and the Lord, that they are humbled and filled with holy awe, and even with dread and alarm.”

A necklace with a prayer cross resting on a Bible.

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J. A. Spender, journalist and author

“Fear God, yes, but don’t be afraid of Him.” 

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A woman with her arms outstretched in a flower field.

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Kimberly Giles, author of Choosing Clarity: The Path to Fearlessness

“Fear has to be the opposite of God because it is the opposite of love. Fear is selfish, needy and focused on you. It makes no sense for God to want you in fear about Him or your life.

“It comes down to this: either God wants you to live in fear of Him, always afraid you aren’t good enough and focused on yourself, or He wants you to live in love, knowing you are safe, and focused on loving other people. Which feels more accurate to you?”


A close up of a person walking down a path.

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Pema Chödrön, Buddhist nun

“Fear is a natural reaction to moving closer to the truth.” 


Wind blowing curtains in through an open window.

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Max Lucado, author and pastor

“The presence of fear does not mean you have no faith. Fear visits everyone. But make your fear a visitor and not a resident.”  

A young girl praying outdoors.

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Rashi, 11th century French Rabbi and author 

“Obeying from love is better than to obey from fear.”

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