If God loves us, why would He want us to fear Him? How can we love and fear God at the same time?
I got this great question today from a nineteen year old man. For me, the best analogy is semi trucks. My brother-in-law was a professional semi driver. Once or twice, I rode with him. It’s a great deal of fun. I really enjoyed it. You could say that I “love” semis.
But I also fear semis. No, I don’t lie awake at night in a cold sweat shuddering at the thought of a semi. But at the same time, I’m not stupid enough to stand in the middle of the Interstate on a foggy night waiting to take on a forty-ton mass of metal coming at me at 70 miles per hour. I have enough sense to get out of the way.
In the same way, I love God. I love hanging out with Him. I love being with Him. But I’m not stupid enough to tangle with Him. People who pick a fight with God lose. I don’t want to be that person.
Photo credit: Leland Francisco, Flickr, Creative Commons License
