"Football is not a matter of life and death, it is more important than that."
What God asks from us? (part 1)
And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in obedience to him, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, 13 and to observe the LORD’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good? Deuteronomy 10:12-13Ancient Israel had the 10 commandments and page after page of regulations (See Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy) but here the writer sums the obligations on God’s people up in five words: fear, walk, love, serve, observe.
The concept of “fearing” God is sometimes difficult for us to grasp. Fear is such a negative word. Fearing God does not mean being scared or terrified of God. Words like “respect, stand in awe of, approach with reverence” express the meaning well. It is knowing our place and God’s.
If we were invited to meet the Queen, the President or a legend of our sport, we would not be afraid but, I imagine, we would be feeling unworthy of the invitation and conscious of our place.
Fear can be paralysing and stop us from being able to act. Fearing God, properly understood, rather leads us to action – to walk in obedience, serve etc. As Christians we need to understand grace. We do not fear and walk in obedience to God in order to gain his favour. We do it as a response of love, recognizing who He is and what he has done for us.
Re-read the verses and consider if they are a good summary of what God is asking you to do in life and in sport.
For a fuller consideration of fearing God see:
http://www.veritesport.org/index.php?page=sd_psalms_fear
http://www.veritesport.org/index.php?page=Fear_the_Lord