Fear is not something to speak lightly on. At least, not for me.
When most people talk about fear, they’re talking about being frightened or anxious about someone or something. ‘They’ think that fear is something bad, something that is only good in the fact that it warns you of something to stay away from. ‘They’ often forget that it has another meaning, a meaning that is meant to give comfort in times of need.
It is the definition of being in awe of someone greater than yourself.
“And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.” (Luke 1: 50)
I have come to have an appreciation of this definition of this word as in my day to day life I have often drawn comfort from the fact that I am not alone in this world. I have faith in a higher being who looks down on me as if I were His daughter. He is not a vengeful, wrathful Father, but a kind one who is willing to listen to his daughter’s complaints and fears and worries and anything else she might have on her mind. He can take all that I feel and all that I think and give back to me reassurance that I am loved no matter what I do.
There will be times when I, through actions of my own, am fearful of my Father’s wrath because I have done something that I know He will not approve of. Even in this, I should not feel frightened of my Father, because He will stand there with open arms for me to come back to Him with a penitent heart and a contrite spirit, as many fathers wish for their children who have strayed to return to them with the conviction that they will not wander down that path again.
“And he said, A certain man had two sons: And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living. And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want… And when he came to himself, he said… I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of they hired servants. And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him… For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.” (Luke 15: 11-14, 17-20, 24)
He waits for us to remember that we should only fear him in the sense that we remember who He is and remember His love for us.
This was written as inspired by the prompt from Trifecta for the weekend challenge (http://www.trifectawritingchallenge.com/), but is not submitted as I went over the word count.
