what does god fearing mean?

Question

I never understood, so many people using as if they love god, yet god fearing as I understand means shying away from god or hating god. From my experience at least, what is your experiences?

Answer 1

First of all it is NOT about a craven, debilitating fear

Actually "fear of the LORD" in the Bible (INCLUDING the New Testament) is almost a synonym for WORSHIPING God (which includes such things as bowing down before his throne and acknowledging him). "Those who fear your name" is a common title in the Psalms, etc., for 'your worshipers'.

Now even if God is, by grace, our Father, he is STILL the great KING of all -- consider how the angels in his presence are overwhelmed with his glory.

Those who 'do NOT fear God' are those who refuse to worship him, or who take him lightly, not acknowledging that he IS the great King of all and worthy or everyone's worship.

The expression also often speaks of how people BEHAVE who reverently acknowledge God, avoiding evil and seeking to honor him. (Proverbs says a lot about this.)

It is from all this that the English expression "god fearing" takes the following meaning:
1. deeply respectful or fearful of God.
2. (sometimes lowercase) deeply religious; pious; devout.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/god-fearing

There are MANY Scripture references on this -- take a look at an online concordance and look up expressions like "fear of the Lord", "fear God" and "fear your name".
For starters:
http://www.biblegateway.com/keyword/?search=fear+of+the+Lord&searchtype=phrase&version1=31&spanbegin=1&spanend=73

Some have trouble with figuring out how this fits with LOVE of and trust in God (as Father), but it does and must (or else we end up thinking of God as just a nice old grandad, not the awesome God of all!)

One of the most helpful illustrations of all this that I know is from the scene in the Beavers' house in *The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe*. The children wonder if this awesome lion Aslan they have been hearing about. They are assured he is "not a tame lion!" And when they ask if he is "safe" Mrs Beaver replies "Course he isn't safe! But he's GOOD. .. ." She also explains, ""If there's anyone who can appear before Aslan without his knees knocking, they're either braver than most or else just silly."

In fact, if you realize that this is what God is like --awesome, holy, not tame. . .but GOOD-- that is the basis for TRUE confidence and JOY. . . that this awesome and holy God, for all that, actually LOVES me! That the Great KING is also my FATHER !

Answer 2

God fearing comes from the concept of duality. We see God as an entity outside of us. Someone who sits in judgement of our thoughts, words and actions. Hence as in normal, when we do something which our inner voice affirms is wrong, we fear judgement by this external god.

So a god-fearing person is nothing more than a person who lives within society's accepted norms and doesnt commit wrongdoings. This does not mean they love god and are doing something because of that love, just that they fear retribution and hence are sticking to the correct path.

Of course if we just change our attitude we will realize that in fearing god we are conveniently shifting responsibility for our actions from ourselves to an external God. This fear is something ALL organized religions have taken complete advantage of.

Answer 3

God fearing means that someone lives their life following the laws of the Bible.

Answer 4

I came from a God-fearing family - That's because every Sunday God would come round and beat us all up.

Answer 5

I really don't think it means that. I think "God Fearing" means fearing the wrath of God. Or perhaps the term should be "God Respecting". People who are "God Fearing" are living their lives in respect of God - and are not sinning out of respect to Him.

Answer 6

Col 3:22 - The servants! obey in all things those who are masters according to the flesh, not in eye-service as men-pleasers, but in simplicity of heart, fearing God;

We fear God as not to displease or disappoint him. We obey
him because we want to, not because we have to.

Answer 7

God fearing is living your life by the word of the bible for fear of the consequences. Not fearing god as you think.

Answer 8

fearing is you repect god follow god and belive that there is one god in this world and i things you have to do to not go to hell are fast, haij, pray 5 times a day, give money to the poor people,

Answer 9

It means that in anything you do, or say, or even think, you must consider that actually God's watching you and knows what you are doing and he'll see whether you follow His words. When you love God then you must beware on your conducts so as not to disappoint Him as He has loved you first.

Answer 10

God fearing means that they live their lives knowing that god exists and trying to follow his rules in order to be judged kindly.
Like if i were still living at home and Isaid i lived 'father fearing", i love my daddy and like him and hes a nice guy, but i am going to follow his rules so i dont get grounded.