What comes to mind when you think of the word “fear”? Snakes? Public speaking? Confined spaces? Our thoughts often go to those things that produce terror in our hearts. This default understanding of fear can make it difficult to understand and communicate to others what the Bible means by the fear of the Lord.
However, we should seek to grow in our ability to teach others the fear of God because it is foundational to walking in wisdom (Proverbs 9:10). In addition, a lack of the fear of the Lord characterizes those given over to sin (Romans 3:18). As those who desire our counselees to walk in wisdom and put off sinful habits, we want to grow in our ability to help others truly fear God by defining, illustrating, and applying the fear of the Lord for our counselees.
Defining the Fear of the Lord for Counselees
If Jesus was characterized by the fear of the Lord (Isaiah 11:2), then our definition of the concept must reject our common understanding of fear. It cannot be that Jesus was afraid of the Father like a child who fears an out-of-control parent. Instead, what we see in the teaching of Jesus is that he is one with the Father and therefore knows Him perfectly (John 10:30). From eternity past, the Son experienced nothing but the perfect love of the Father (John 17:26). During his earthly ministry, Jesus joyfully and perfectly obeyed the will of his Father. (John 17:4). As Jesus walked in the fear of the Lord, he revered the Father, knew Him perfectly, and submitted to His will.
Looking at the example of Christ, we might consider the following definition: the fear of the Lord is a holy reverence for God flowing from a right understanding of God resulting in submission to God.
Let’s think about 3 important aspects of this definition:
Reverence. Hebrews 5:7 says, “In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayer and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence.” To fear God is to have a reverential awe for him. The fear of the Lord moves beyond mere respect but stops short of sheer terror. It is a reverence for the King of kings and Lord of lords, before whom angels bow, and archangels veil their faces.
Right Understanding. If we are to revere God properly, we must know him. Michael Reeves defines the fear of the Lord as, “the right response to God’s full-orbed revelation of himself in all his grace and glory.”Michael Reeves, Rejoice and Tremble: The Surprising Good News of the Fear of the Lord (Union Series) (Wheaton: Crossway, 2021), 53. To fear God is to have an awareness of both the utter holiness of God that should lead to our judgment and his inexhaustible grace in Christ which does lead to our salvation. In union with Christ, believers share in the close fellowship shared between the Son and the Father.
Submission. This recognition of God’s grace and glory leads us to submit ourselves to God by presenting ourselves as living sacrifices. It is interesting how fear of the Lord is often tied to serving the Lord in the Scriptures. Nehemiah asked God to hear “the prayer of your servants who delight to fear God’s name” (Nehemiah 1:11). Similarly, David invites the kings of the earth to “Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling” (Psalm 2:11). Godly fear of the Lord is accompanied by delight, joy, and willing submission to the Lord.
Illustrating the Fear of the Lord for Counselees
One illustration of the fear of the Lord that I have found helpful comes from C. S. Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. In this classic novel, four children stumble into the enchanting world of Narnia and quickly find themselves at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Beaver. It becomes evident that these beavers are confident in receiving hope from the Christ-figure Aslan. When the children discover that Aslan is a lion, they wonder if it is safe to meet him. Mr. Beaver responds, “Safe? … Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.”C. S. Lewis, The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe (New York: Collier Brooks, 1972) 75-76. He isn’t necessarily safe, but he’s good.
In Narnia, Aslan reigns as both the sovereign Lord and the good and gracious king. He is neither a domesticated house cat nor a violent despot. Peter, the oldest of the four children, responds appropriately when he says, “I’m longing to see him. Even if I do feel frightened when it comes to that point.”Ibid. Like Peter, a proper understanding of God leads us to a sense of fear and, at the same time, a longing to know him. In affirming both the complete holiness of God and the goodness of God in salvation, we can begin to understand what it means for us to fear him.
Applying the Fear of the Lord for Counselees
In addition to defining and illustrating the fear of the Lord, we can encourage our counselees to grow in their understanding of God’s character by assigning good homework. A classic biblical counseling homework assignment that could help someone grow in the fear of the Lord is to study the attributes of God. The counselee could concentrate on one attribute per week, looking up Scripture and memorizing passages that pertain to God’s faithfulness, love, justice, etc.
Good sermons that focus on a particular attribute of God can also be used as homework. Have the counselee listen and interact with what they are hearing by taking notes and bringing them to the next session. Good books like The Holiness of God by R. C. Sproul or The Gospel Primer by Milton Vincent can become assigned readings to help the counselee grow in their knowledge and understanding of God’s character. Lastly, having counselees list 25 or 50 ways they have seen God’s sovereignty or faithfulness or any number of attributes in their lives can help them reflect on God’s grace and glory.
Conclusion
As counselors, we want to walk in a manner consistent with the counsel we give. As we point others to the fear of the Lord, we want to grow in this area as well. Our fear of the Lord, or the lack thereof, will greatly impact our counseling ministry. Fear of God will keep us centered on God’s revelation of himself and not our own opinions because we recognize God alone is all-wise. It will keep us from minimizing the presence of sin in ourselves and others because God is holy, righteous, and just. It will prod us beyond simply “sin-spotting” and push us back toward Christ who bestows on all who come to him and the infinite riches of his grace (Romans 10:12-13).
