“Where fear is, happiness is not.” -Seneca
I love it when the “great philosophers” only get things half right. Seneca, the revered Spanish-Roman writer who lived during Jesus’ time, only saw half the picture in his musings on the subject of happiness. Fear is typically depicted as negative, even in much Christian thought. In and of itself, it is not. The determining factor lies in the object of our fear.
When Joseph was testing his brothers, he said to them, “Do this and live, for I fear God.” (Genesis 42:18, NAS) This was his oath, his guarantee that his word was true: he feared.
When the Hebrew midwives were commanded by the Egyptian king to kill any newborn males, his edict was ignored “because the midwives feared God….” (Exodus 1:23, NAS) They did not do evil because they feared.
When the Israelites fled Egyptian slavery, God parted the waters of the Jordan River so “that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty, so that you may fear the Lord your God forever.” (Joshua 4:24, NAS) God miraculously delivered His people so they would fear.
The Holy Spirit told King David, “He who rules over men righteously, who rules in the fear of God, is as the light of the morning when the sun rises…” (2 Samuel 23:3-4, NAS) A righteous leader fears.
Consider this incomplete list of the positive results of fear:
- Deliverance comes when we fear. (2 Kings 17:39)
- God reveals himself to those who fear. (Psalm 25:14)
- God’s goodness is reserved for those who fear. (Psalm 31:19)
- God watches over those who fear. (Psalm 33:18)
- God sends his angels to those who fear. (Psalm 34:7)
- God blesses those who fear. (Psalm 67:7)
- God has compassion on those who fear. (Psalm 103:13)
- Salvation comes to those who fear. (Psalm 85:9)
- Wisdom begins with fear. (Psalm 111:10)
- Fear prolongs life. (Proverbs 10:27)
- Those who fear have “strong confidence.” (Proverbs 14:26)
- Fear rescues us from evil. (Proverbs 16:6)
- Fear brings healing. (Malachi 4:2)
- Fear enables us to witness. (2 Corinthians 5:11)
- Fear brings holiness. (2 Corinthians 7:1)
Suddenly, fear does not sound like such a negative experience! But here’s the key: fear should be reserved only for God. Not only is it natural to fear the pure and mighty Creator of the universe, but it is proper. Why is this fear different? Because “the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever.” (Psalm 19:9, NAS)
Jesus clearly divided the good fear from the bad when He said, “Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matthew 10:28, NAS) However, fear is merely the starting place; it is not the endgame. Ironically, fearing God is the first step to overcoming every other fear. When we fear the Lord, we do not fear anything else, including:
- Other gods. (2 Kings 17:38)
- The future. (1 Chronicles 28:20)
- Evil or evil men. (Psalm 23:4, 2 Chronicles 32:7)
- The armies of the enemy. (2 Kings 6:16)
- Natural disasters. (Psalm 46:2)
- Persecution. (John 20:19)
- Suffering. (Revelation 2:10)
- Death. (Matthew 10:28)
The fear of God drives us away from sin and allows Him to comfort us. When we are on the right side of fear, it is not a hindrance to happiness; it is a pathway to it.
Excerpted from God Wants You To Be Happy by James Randall Robison (Harvest House). Used by permission. Randy Robison appears this Tuesday and Thursday on LIFE TODAY.
