Two Fears, Two Roots

   I was considering moving on, moving on to a new paradox.  Have I said everything about the Fear of the Lord verses fear? Certainly not. I imagine this could be as deep and wide as God Himself, but my thoughts had run dry.  So, I asked the Lord if He had any more thoughts for me on this topic.  I was feeling restless to write but empty of ideas.  Then, in the quiet way that He comes, that He speaks, I see plain as day the roots of these fears.  The underlying reason why these fears are antitheses.  Why we are implored to give all to lay hold of one, and urged in gentleness to let go of the other. 
  It's all a matter of perspective, of gaze.  What consumes the thoughts when fear is present?  Where is the focus?  Is it not self-consumed?  We fear harm to ourselves or loved ones, financial, social, psychological, physical, relational distress or destruction.  Our gaze focused sometimes on what we see, often what we fear we might see or experience.  Our gaze is self-consumed.  Fear is rooted in self preservation, an attempt in our psyche to control our surroundings or what happens to us.  It is often irrational and gives us a false sense of control, as if by fearing we could prevent bad things, we could shift circumstances in our favor or change the outcome.  I don't say this, pointing the finger at those who fear, as one who stands in judgement - condemning the fears and one experiencing fear - for I myself am in an ongoing battle with fear.  And there is a created, instinctive, life-saving, self-preserving fear that keeps you from being captured, eaten by a lion, crushed by a falling object, etc.  That is not bad.  But I am coming to believe that one of our life-long wrestles for deliverance is tied to a freedom from fear correlated to a freedom from self-preservation, having fallen into radical trust in a Sovereign God.

“When we fear what other people think about us, we are frequently more focused on 'being interesting' and less focused on 'taking an interest.' That's why many people talk a great deal when they are anxious and why many people never feel heard. If both people and conversation are trying to be interesting, there is no one left to genuinely listen.” 
― John Yokoyama, When Fish Fly: Lessons for Creating a Vital and Energized Workplace from the World Famous Pike Place Fish Market





   The verse that keeps circulating in my mind is 1 Jn 4:18.  "There is no fear in love (because love is in essence others focused, removes focus from self-preservation to blessing, benefiting and seeking the good of others), but perfect love drives out fear because fear has to do with punishment (fear gazes inward- what will happen to me).  The one who fears has not been made perfect in love or has not fully experienced His perfect love." (Because to know what is the height and length and breadth and depth of His love is to lose sight of all fear in the wonder and knowledge and security of both His kindness, tenderness, favor, love and His power.

 
   Which brings me to the Fear of the Lord, a gaze at the Most High and Holy, a centering on all that is True and Right and Good and Beautiful.  It is perspective. It is an acknowledgement of WHO can change all things, preserve all things, direct all things and a recognition that He is worthy of all things, above all things, in all things (even can be found in the heart wrenching, broken things).  At its core, is not the Fear of the Lord a life laid down, a letting go of control, of your own agenda or self-preservation and laying all of those things to rest in Him? His ways really are higher, better, of purer motive and intention with a perspective of countless ages rather than minutes, hours, days and years.  Eyes lifted up as a maidservant to her Master, knowing that His is the source of all good and giving - that is the Fear of the Lord.  When one is consumed with Him, all else fades away - fears are laid to rest, wounds are soothed and comforted, all things become reconciled in God. 
   

  Are all things then just puppies and rainbows?  It's easy.  No sweat!  Aw, if it were only so.  But how often our flesh wars against truth, our spirits wrestling with right rather than resting in it in the midst of hard and even terrible things.  This shift in gaze, shift from self focus to God focus can be an all out battle of the mind and will.  Often is a willful intention to tear ones-self out of the grip of fear and muster all the help of Heaven to lay hold of rest in the Everlasting Arms.  But it's a fight worth having, worth taking on, worth expending all energy toward because the value of rooting one deeply in GOD and seeing Him rightly is a treasure of inestimable worth- far beyond what all the world could offer, and is indeed the satisfaction of our souls, because it is what we were made for.