Today is Halloween, and I was thinking about the things that truly scare me. I am not afraid of ghosts or goblins or things that go bump in the night. I have genuine fears.

1. I Fear The Lord. We often associate the fear of the Lord with the Old Testament. Jesus brings it into the New Testament in Luke 12:5 when he says to fear the one who has the authority to throw the soul into hell. I live every day knowing I have a loving father and gracious king, but I will stand before him and give an answer for my life one day. Having a healthy fear is a good thing because it keeps my mind focused on what is really important.
2. I Fear My Children Drifting From Jesus. I have been blessed to see all my children come to a saving relationship with their Savior. I have watched them walk a righteous path through their teenage years, but now they are on their own. I fear them leaving their roots to see what it is like in a distant country. I pray they never do, but if they do, I pray they find their way back home as a prodigal.
3. I Fear I Will Miss Opportunities The Lord Gives Me. As a follower of Jesus, I know that every day, he will lead me toward opportunities to share his grace in its various forms. I fear that I will not see them, or worse, mess them up. I want to be a trustworthy servant of my Lord, but many times I am blinded to the work he wants me to do by my sin and selfishness. Many nights I lie awake and ask God to forgive me for getting sidetracked from the things in life of eternal significance. My life goal is to hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant,” and I fear falling short of that goal because my eyes are focused on temporal pleasure.

I don’t know if any of these resonate with you. Tonight, there will be kids dressed up as all kinds of people and things that some might consider scary. I don’t share in those fears. Honestly, while my life is hedged with reverent fear, I spend every day thankful that I do not have to live with the fear of death because of the work of Jesus.