A healthy church is where our fears go to die. We pierce them through with Scripture, psalms of celebration and lament. We melt them in the sunlight of confession. We extinguish them with the waterfall of worship, choosing to gaze at God, not our dreads.
And from page 169:
“They fell on their faces and were greatly afraid” [Matt. 17:6].
This is the fear of the Lord. Most of our fears are poisonous. They steal sleep and pillage peace. But this fear is different.
“From a biblical perspective, there is nothing neurotic about fearing God. The neurotic thing is not to be afraid, or to be afraid of the wrong thing. That is why God chooses to be known to us, so that we may stop being afraid of the wrong thing. When God is fully revealed to us and we 'get it'; then we experience the conversion of our fear....’Fear of the Lord’ is the deeply sane recognition that we are not God.” [quote from Ellen F. Davis, Getting Involved with God: Rediscovering the Old Testament, pp. 102-3]
How long since you felt this fear? Since a fresh understanding of Christ buckled your knees and emptied your lungs? Since a glimpse of him left you speechless and breathless? If it's been a while, that explains your fears.
When Christ is great, our fears are not. As awe of Jesus expands, fears of life diminish. A big God translates into big courage. A small view of God generates no courage.
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