July 2010 - Fear

One of the reasons marriages break apart is the lack of fear. Our world glorifies the phrase, "no fear" as if it is a virtue. It is common to hear, "you biggest problem is fear, just go for it, don't look back, leap then watch, etc." This philosophy has merit when properly applied, but it is easily confused with the truth. In reality, we have two types of fear. We have "objective" fear which is God given and should be acknowledged. To fear falling, choking, painful touch is normal and part of our protective system. Very few would suggest seeing a nail in my path and "going for it" as I stomped it sending the shaft through my foot. Secondly, we have "subjective" fear which is produced by some thought process that may or may not be true. This may be the feeling when my boss walks by with out speaking, or the shaky feeling I get when a new friend laughs at me, or even when I get stuck in an elevator. In these cases the fear isn't based on objective fact. I chose to produce it by the thoughts I have about the situation.

So what kind of fear do we need? Fear of God. We need an "objective" fear of God. What should stop us from running to divorce? I believe a person forgets who else was standing at the altar that day. If you listened you heard yourself promise those things to God. Therefore, you entered into a covenant with your partner and with God. We should remember that God holds us accountable for our promises to Him. No, God isn't going to hit us or turn His back on us, but rest assured that He will not ignore it and in His justice, must deal with it. His holiness demands it.

Next time the thought crosses your mind to cut and run from your marriage, remember that when you're through running you'll find yourself face to face with the One who loves you and refuses to let you lie to yourself.

Truly the "fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom."

"Dear God, teach me to fear you. Teach me to believe in your sufficiency and avoid the tendency to be apart from you. thank you for your faithfulness."