The Purpose of Fear

I think there is a purpose to fear. It is good for us, to a degree, to fear. God doesn’t want our fear to control us and put us under the power of Satan. I think that fear serves as an equalizer; it reminds us of our limitations and our humanity.

I feel that if we did not have fear we would believe that we were capable of anything, on our own, without any limitations. If we were fearless we would think we had no need of God or prayer. It is fear which drops us to our knees before God, begging for His help and mercy. (Exodus 20:20, Deut 10:12)

Without fear we would go about doing as we please, without a thought to the repercussions of our action. It is most commonly our fear of God and his displeasure with us that keeps us from partaking of certain things. We desire to do good in His eyes, and fear His anger.

That being said: I have my fears, but I try not to let them control me. There are times when they become overwhelming and I must battle them back; rebuking Satan and calling on Jesus. My fears, to me, serve as a warning: If I’m afraid of something or for someone, it is with good reason. It is then that I need to call on God for guidance and support.

God does not want us to dwell on or live in fear, he wants us to hand them over to Him, but if we do not fear we will not call on Him. Fear is good, because it does bring us closer to God. It is when we allow fear to control us and pull us away from God that it is the work of Satan. As long as our fears are driving us to God, they can only work for good.