To fear God means that we obey Him, because we know what will happen if we don't. When I was growing up, I dared not sass my father or disobey him, because I knew I would get spanked with a belt if I did (or I would be laying on the floor from a swipe of my father's hand before I knew what hit me). Call that what you want, but I respected my father and it kept me out of a lot of trouble as a teenager. My parents were both Christians. I feared my father, and that fear carried over into my adult life with the Lord God. I know that my mother and father also loved me very much, and cared about me. My parents weren't perfect (none are), but they were Christians and that made all the difference in the world.

Notice what Proverbs says... UNTO HIM THAT OUGHT TO BE FEARED!!!

Psalms 76:11, “Vow, and pay unto the LORD your God: let all that be round about him bring presents unto him that ought to be feared.”

God ought to be feared. If you don't fear God, then you don't know God. 2nd Corinthians 5:11 speaks of, “KNOWING THE TERROR OF THE LORD.” God is not a tyrant, but He is God. As God, He makes the rules. Our duty is to obey God's commandments. If men disobey God, then we are the sinners, not God. From the beginning of time God has been good to mankind. Man always ruins things, conniving in his own sinful ways to outsmart God, which always leads to his own destruction. I wrote this article to draw attention to the Biblical truth that we should all FEAR GOD AND KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS. We don't hear enough preaching these days about FEARING GOD. If people feared God, they wouldn't cheat each other (1st Thessalonians 4:6). If people feared God, they wouldn't commit adultery (Proverbs 6:29). If people feared God, they wouldn't gossip and backbite one another (James 4:12).

No doubt many Christians would argue that a believer ought to serve God out of a heart of love and loyalty, in gratitude for all that the Lord is and does for us. I wholeheartedly agree. But before young people can grow to that place in their spiritual walk with God, they must be taught to obey or else face the grave consequences. The fear of God is the training wheels. The fear of God will follow and guide us throughout life. Hopefully, at some point, we will want to do right and preach the Gospel out of a deep sense of love, and commitment, for our God and Savior. If our ungodly U.S. Supreme Court feared God, then they never would have legalized abortion in 1973 and same-sex marriage in 2015. There is no rule of law anymore, only perversion of justice. Woe unto our nation!!!