What you Believe Makes a Difference: We Are Accountable to God

The air was crisp and cool, and my motorcycle ran great that afternoon. I sped up to the legal limit, which was far slower than I wanted to go, and for several miles, I just drifted along, taking

in the scenery and the pleasure of a good ride. And then I came upon a long, smooth straight on the road, and again I began to fight with the urge to ‘give it the gas’ and hear the roar of my motor flying down the road. I sped up, and then, as I approached the end of the straight, I let off the gas and slowed down. I was afraid! I wasn’t scared of the corner; no, I feared getting caught by a State Trooper and receiving a costly ticket! That fear slowed me down, as it almost always does. If I weren’t afraid, I would probably speed up all the time!

 

That’s the way it often is in our lives, isn’t it? There is a way we know we must live and act to ‘keep it together, but occasionally we have the desire to live and act differently, but we are a little

afraid. We may be fearful of getting into trouble or making someone mad; we may even be fearful of God!

 

For those who follow Jesus, a healthy fear of God can be very good! God wants us to live in a way that follows a narrow path;’ because the narrow path is the way of life: good relationships,

restrained behavior, and self-control. God loves us and wants us to have a good life; there may be times when the threat of judgment from God may be the only thing that keeps our behavior under control. The Bible says, in Proverbs 9, that “The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom,” which means that if we hold a healthy fear of God, it can be an influence for good in our life.

 

Let us all hold a healthy fear of the God who loves us – not because He wants to hurt us, but because He wants to bless us and enable us to live a good life full of joy!