On the same (or similar) topic as my last post, this post from Windblown Hope, with an article written by Mike Yaconelli encourages us to fear God.

The tragedy of modern faith is that we no longer are capable of being terrified. We aren’t afraid of God, we aren’t afraid of Jesus, we aren’t afraid of the Holy Spirit. As a result, we have ended up with a need-centered gospel that attracts thousands…but transforms no one.

What happened to the bone-chilling, earth-shattering, gut-wrenching, knee-knocking, heart-stopping, life-changing fear that left us speechless, paralyzed, and helpless? What happened to those moments when you and I would open our Bibles and our hands started shaking because we were afraid of the Truth we might find there? Barclay tells us that the word used in the Bible for “Truth” has three meanings—a word used to describe a wrestler grabbing an opponent by the throat; a word meaning to flay an animal; and a word used to describe the humiliation of a criminal who was paraded in front of a crowd with a dagger tied to his neck, its point under his chin so he could not put his head down. That is what the Truth is really like! It grabs us by the throat, it flays us wide open, it forces us to look into the face of God. When is the last time you and I heard God’s Truth and were grabbed by the throat?

I know for me I have a tendency to be too judgemental, lookig to the speck instead of my own log.  Then there are those who belong to the anything goes compassionate brand of Christianity. Too far to one side and we are either playing God or watering down and removing sin from the gospel repectively. The answer for me is to pray that I would be fearful of God in the way I’m supposed to be fearful of Him. That I would be completely in awe of Him. Then from that place, God would tell me to fear not. My approach to God should be one of trembling, because of who I am. But I can tremble in confidence because of who Jesus is.

If that happens, I will naturally introduce my friends to Jesus in those terms. But I’ve got to be willing to be grabbed by the throat - to be transformed myself.