Fear, Love, and Trust

I remember asking in Sunday School and adult Bible class and even in college theology classes about that word fear. I asked a gazillion times. I was never satisfied with the answer.

The popular answer in the last few decades is that it doesn't reeeeally mean "fear." It means "reverant awe." I bought that for a while. But I don't any more.

After several years of regularly going to private confession, I suddenly realized that I fear my pastor. But I love him. And I trust him. HOW can you be afraid [and I mean shaking-in-your-boots, knees-knocking, palm-sweating afraid] of someone that you love so deeply and trust so thoroughly? It doesn't make sense. But I know from experience now what it is to "fear, love, and trust."



So yesterday, we be readin' some history. The section we were on was the death of King Charles of Sweden, and his final advice to Gustav Adolph. One of the sentences was "Fear God."

So Maggie asks, "Fear God???? Why would he tell his son to fear God? That sounds like you should be afraid of Him."

So the mother says, "Well, .... uh, .... yeah. What's the problem with that?"

So the child says, "But God loves us. Why would you tell anyone to be afraid of God?"

And the mother, feeling totally hopeless, feeling like all has been futile, and wondering if the child has ever listened to the words coming out of her own mouth, responds, "You shall have no other gods. What does this mean?"

And child says, "We should fear, love, and trust in God above all things."

Mommy says, "We should do WHAT? Why would you tell someone to fear God?"

Yikes!
Stymied!
Confusion!
Hey! What's going on here?

So the ever-helpful teenager assists his little sister. "Well, Maggie! Aren't you afraid of Mom sometimes?!?"




Hmmmmm. It's one thing to realize you yourself fear your beloved pastor. It's another thing altogether to realize your children are discussing that you are the fearsome one.