If there is one thing that is missing in the world, it is the fear of the Lord. Sadly, at times it is lacking even among the people of God. Godly fear is not to be terrified of God, but rather to give Him the awe and reverence He deserves. This is in our own best interest.
Proverbs 10:27 (ESV)
27 The fear of the LORD prolongs life, but the years of the wicked will be short.
The fear of the Lord can literally prolong our days on earth. It is not guaranteed; after all, proverbs are only designed to set forth general truths, but they are true far more times than not. Why is it usually true that fearing God prolongs our days? It is because it leads to clean, healthy, living, in contrast to the dangerous living of the wicked.
More important than the physical well-being that is promoted by fearing God is that it is good for the soul. It results in obeying Him, which, of course, should be our primary goal.
Ecclesiastes 12:13 (KJV)
13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
While obeying God will not always result in a long life, it will save your soul, meaning you will enjoy eternal life in the glorious confines of heaven.
If fearing God results in obeying Him, what does a lack of fear produce? A world filled with people without godly fear will be a moral mess. Welcome to the 21st century. The truth is, every century has been filled with more people who do not fear God than those who do. This is why the world has always been dominated by sin. As God-fearing people, we have to accept this, but it does present particular dangers to us, especially the temptation to conform. Paul warned us of this.
Romans 12:2 (ESV)
2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Do not let the world influence you for evil. People live, talk, and even dress, like they do not respect God. This is because they don’t. If we do, let us act like it. Let us strive to show that we recognize the greatness and grandeur of God, and that we are truly in awe of Him. This should be seen by how we behave at work, in the home, and even when we are out and about in the community. While we do not do things to be praised by man, we should want the world to see our good works and glorify God (Matthew 5:16).
One more thing. Let us not forget to demonstrate godly fear when we come together to worship Him. Our worship services are becoming more casual with each passing year. It is seen in services that are not orderly (1 Corinthian 14:40). It is seen in daydreaming members who are not focused on praising God while worshipping Him. (We may not be able to see this, but God does). It is even seen by how casual we now dress when worshipping God, as if our personal comfort is more important than giving Him our best. If we are in awe of our Creator, let us demonstrate it every day in everything that we do. We cannot help what the world does, but we can show them what true godly fear looks like.
As you wind down for the night, think about these things.