What You Should Really Fear

The phrase "Be afraid, be very afraid" was a tagline from the 1986 horror flick The Fly. Google the phrase and you'll get over 180 million results for that phrase. But the trick is to be appropriately afraid of the right thing. What people commonly fear is not always what should be causing that spike of adrenaline. Here are some examples reported by the Louthian Law Firm:

Are you afraid to fly? You have a 0.00001 percent chance of dying in an airplane crash. On the other hand, the car insurance industry estimates that the average driver will be involved in three or four car crashes in their lifetime and the odds of dying in a car crash are one to two percent.

Are you afraid of heights? It's the second most reported fear. Your chance of being injured by falling, jumping, or being pushed from a high place is 1 in 65,092. The chance of having your identity stolen is 1 in 200. Do you fear being killed by a bolt of lightning? The odds of that happening are 1 in 2.3 million. You're much more likely to be struck by a meteorite—those lifetime odds are about 1 in 700,000.

How about dogs? Their bark really is worse than their bite: Your chance of suffering a dog bite is 1 in 137,694. On the other hand, your chance of being injured while mowing the lawn is 1 in 3,623. How about sharks? You're much more likely to be killed by your spouse (1 in 135,000) than a shark (1 in 300 million). Won't ride a roller coaster? If you have the patience to stand in the line, the chance of a roller coaster injury is 1 in 300 million. But if you play with fireworks on the Fourth of July, you're really playing with fire: the chance of injury is 1 in 20,000.

So, what should we really fear? How about God! The Bible speaks frequently about the appropriate kind of fear toward God. It is a reverential kind of awe that recognizes who He is and who we are. But it is also a kind of fear that carries benefits. Listen to some of these scriptures about fearing God.

Psalm 110:10—“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!”

Proverbs 19:23—”The fear of the Lord leads to life, and whoever has it rests satisfied; he will not be visited by harm.”

Job 28:28—”And he said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”
2 Corinthians 5:11—”Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. But what we are is known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience.”

Proverbs 14:27—”The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, that one may turn away from the snares of death.”

Ecclesiastes 12:13—”The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.”

And that’s just a few passages that remind us to never stop fearing our awesome God.

Don’t forget this Sunday evening we’ll gather for a church wide fellowship at the RFC with food trucks, games and inflatables for the kiddos. There will also be tables for you and your friends to fellowship around. Don’t miss it. I look forward to seeing you here and remember, God is always trying to take you someplace new. I love being your Pastor!

For God’s Glory Alone,
Pastor Ray

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