Happy To Be Afraid

“Happy [is] the man that feareth alway: but he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischief.” (Pr 28:14 AV)

Fear and happiness are not typically seen as complimentary.  Far goes with anxiety.  Fear goes with flight.  Fear goes with anger.  Fear goes with hopelessness.  Fear goes with cowardice.  Fear does not go with happiness.  At least that is what we assume.  That is what we naturally think.  Note, however, that happiness is associated with mischief.  Mischief is not an emotion, but a course of life.  Perhaps we should think of happiness in the same manner.  This begs a question.  How does fear and happiness complement one another?  Wouldn’t fear, by definition, restrain life?  Would not fear hinder experiences we would otherwise explore?  What new things are we missing if we constantly walk in fear?  Is Solomon telling his children they should never take risks?  How interesting life would be if we never took risks?  What of Abraham, when asked to offer Isaac?  Was not that an act of faith that involved risk?  Did he not fear losing his son?  What of Gideon, who feared going up against a far superior enemy with just a few hundred men?  He was terrified.  Yet, the LORD asked him to trust Him.  Were those two men happy?  What is the connection between happiness and fear?

First, it matters at what we are afraid.  It also matters how we define the word fear.  It also matters exactly when we experience the happiness that comes from fear.  I have had interesting conversations with people my age who are beginning the last major portion of their life.  Things change.  There are things we would have done in younger years that we definitely would not do in our aging years.  One of the common remarks I hear is the trepidation about going up on a ladder.  It seems the older we get, the less sure on our feet we become.  Our balance isn’t what it used to be.  Our steeple needs a repair.  It is thirty feet in the air.  In years gone by, I may have attempted to fix that myself.  We had Christmas lights that were about twelve feet in the air.  We have a ten-foot stepladder.  In years gone by, I would have conquered that, no problem.  Not anymore.  I am happy to let others of steadier constitutions do these things for me.  I am happy knowing my limitations and submitting to a force greater than myself.  Happiness may involve risks.  But they are calculated risks.  Abraham had the promise of God.  Gideon had the fleece.  They may have been a little anxious and perhaps happiness did not come until after the trial was over, but happiness did result.  Fearing God is a source of happiness.  It may involve risk.  It most certainly involves submission and obedience.

There is an important observation to be made here.  Solomon states unequivocally that this fear must always reside.  Fear cannot come and go.  It must be a constant attitude of the heart.  Fearing God is the beginning of wisdom.  Fearing God is not a bad thing.  As we read through the word of God, it repeatedly instructs us to fear God.  God is the creator of the universe.  He has unlimited power.  God is a God of grace and mercy.  But not to the point we lose respect and fear.  I was exposed to a cultural norm where children use a parent's first name when addressing them or speaking of them.  In my upbringing, if we attempted that, our parents would have inflicted serious consequences on us.  There was a command of respect they deserved.  There is a direct correlation between the demeanor of the contemporary saint and the way they view God.  If all they hear of God is His love and mercy, they will never fear Him.  If they never fear Him, they cannot be happy.  Fear and happiness go hand in hand.  And comfortably so.  If we are not happy, maybe we can go no further than to ask if we truly fear the God whom we say we worship.