What does it mean to fear God?

Curiously Kaitlyn

Phil Vischer

Religion & Spirituality

4.9 • 865 Ratings

🗓️ 3 February 2026

⏱️ 32 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

What does it mean to fear an all-loving God? Is it just reverence and awe, or are we actually supposed to be afraid? Kaitlyn and Mike wrestle with biblical stories, common misconceptions about Greek and Hebrew word studies, and the difference between fear that drives us away from God and fear that draws us closer. They also explore how a healthy fear of God can free us from fear of people, power, and politics and why that paradox might actually be good news.

0:00 - Theme Song

3:11 - Fear as Respect?

8:23 - Power is Frightening

16:15 - Sponsor - With & For: Psychology and Spirituality for Thriving Podcast. Check it out now! https://pod.link/1712333330

17:17 - Sponsor - Hiya Health - Go to https://www.hiyahealth.com/CURIOUSLY to receive 50% off your first order

19:22 - Fire and Brimstone

27:21 - Fear is Powerful

31:53 - End Credits

Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to Curiously Caitlin, where we try to make theology make sense.
0:06.5	I don't know.
0:10.1	That doesn't make any sense.
0:14.3	Curiously Kate, yeah.
0:19.9	Welcome back to another episode of Curiously, Caitlin. I am joined once again by producer Mike. Mike, how are you? I'm great. Caitlin, happy Groundhogs Day. Oh my gosh. Yeah, today is real recording. I forgot that it was Groundhogs Day. Do we know already? We do, although I'm not going to lie. I've seen conflicting reports on the internet. I think there might be different groundhogs at different parts of the country. Well, there's like the main one in Pennsylvania. Yeah, in Pennsylvania. I think there might be other. What is it? The one at the one at Gobbler's Knobb, Pennsylvania, Pucketani Phil, saw his shadow. Okay. Signaling six more weeks of winter. Oh, brutal. Which I'm upset about because I've been having a pretty hard time with the winter here right now. Yeah. I love the snow every time. I still haven't gotten tired of snow. I still very much enjoy it. I didn't know there was such a big difference between 20 degrees and 10 degrees. And 20 degrees,
1:12.8	I can walk to work. I walked to work today. It was great. I wasn't cold really at all.
1:16.9	10 degrees, zero degrees? I didn't know that cold could hurt and I don't like it. Wow. Yeah. Now,
1:23.8	isn't it true that yesterday, when it was like 25 and sunny, it felt like 50 yesterday.
1:28.5	It was amazing. Even this morning, I was putting stuff in my car and I hadn't put my coat on yet.
1:33.0	And I was just wearing a sweater, this one. And I was like, wow, this is great.
1:37.3	All Midwesterners have some form of Stockholm syndrome when it comes to our weather.
1:41.6	My brain's been messed with. Yeah, totally. Well, on that lovely notes, speaking of things we should be afraid of. Yeah. Oh, let's hear this question.
1:50.6	Good job. Here is our question for today. Are we supposed to be afraid of God?
1:57.8	All right. That's none other than Jay, my four-year-old, who had legitimately had this question.
2:03.7	I have an actual tear in my eye. That was so cute. The opposed to is the cutest, but also the
2:09.7	inflection there was like indignant. Are we opposed to me? Yeah. Because God is loving and wonderful and kind in our father.
2:19.6	Yeah.
2:20.5	And yet often the Bible talks about the fear of the Lord.
2:23.9	Yeah.
2:24.6	Being afraid of God.
2:25.7	People are afraid of God.
2:27.7	This is the same Jay who you told me came home from Sunday school and was like,
	...

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