'Cause I'm Scared

[OneAccord]

Haven't read the entire thread, though I know there have been some good thoughts put forth. If I say something that someone else is already said, just look over me. But I can relate to what the original poster said. The question I have to ask is this: Do we serve God out of fear... or out of love? I can remember a time when I served him out of fear. I was so afraid of making God angry. I think this came from sitting under a ministry that painted God as some tough Master who was just waiting for an excuse to strike me down for some petty infraction and send my soul to a burning, tortourous hellfire to spend all of eternity forever separated from Him. In short, I was afraid of God.

That fear of God actually drove me from Him. During those fearful years, my Christian experience was so shaky. So, I turned from God and spent several years away from Him.

While away from the Lord, I spent a lot of time studying the Word. Actually, I think I spent more time studying the Word while I was out of church than I did while I was in church. And I came to see God in a different light. I came to see Him as a Father leaning on a fence, anxiously awaiting the return of his wayward son. I saw Him as a loving and compassionate Father who cares for His own, even those who stray from Him. And, I think I learned to love Him, and to serve Him out of love rather than fear.

This verse helped me to change my mindset: Hbr 11:6 But without faith [it is] impossible to please [him]: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and [that] he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. We seek to please God because we love Him, not because we fear (are afraid of) Him. We diligently seek Him, not because we are fraid of what might happen if we don't, but do so, because we really want to know Him.

What does it take to please God? I don't know...the Bible is full of things that please the Lord. Thats where faith comes in. I try to use faith to determine what it is that pleases God- and do my best to do that which pleases Him. Always successful? Hardly. But, I try and I think thats what pleases Him the most. I try, I fail, I cry out to Him, and He helps. That, IMO, pleases the Lord- when I come to the realization that I can't make it without Him. And He doesn't expect me to, nor does He want me to. I'll always need Him because He is always there and thats why I love Him.