The Missing Piece: Holy Fear-Part 1

Zaressa Richardson
Nov 3
6 min read

Discovering the balance between love and reverence in our walk with God.

Part One: Lucifer - Borrowed Light That Faded

When pride replaces reverence, even brilliance loses its shine.

Many people genuinely love Jesus, but struggle with what it really means to fear God. Love without holy fear can drift into casualness, familiarity, or even carelessness. Fear without love can harden into cold distance.

But when love and fear come together, they anchor us in balance.

This truth struck me one day as I sat with the question:

what does it actually mean to fear God?

I realized that both love and holy fear shape how we see Him, how we walk with Him, and how we obey Him.

That is why the foundation verse for this series is so important:

“Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God.”

1 Corinthians 4:5

Over the next four weeks, we’ll look closely at this fine print. We’ll see how Scripture calls us into a love that is warm and personal, yet held with reverence and holy fear.

My prayer is that as we walk through this series together, our understanding will grow deeper. That we will recognize the deceptive lies of the enemy and honestly ask ourselves:

Am I living with an “I love Jesus” mentality but lacking reverence for God?

We’ll look at examples in the Bible of people who loved God but lacked holy fear. Their stories will help us hold up a mirror to our own heart.

And to start, let me take you back to my own story, a season where fear outweighed love, and then another where love outweighed fear.

Childhood Fear But No Love

Growing up, the fear of God was embedded into my DNA. I was terrified to do anything wrong because I was told that Jesus could come back at any moment to get me. I was more afraid of Him “getting me” than of who He actually was.

In my mind, He was the bad guy waiting to punish me for lying, disobedience, or even thinking about sex before marriage. My view was off balance. He wasn’t my Savior or Friend, He was my Judge with a stopwatch.

Okay, maybe I’m not the only one who grew up like this, but flow with me here. That mindset did keep me out of trouble (shout out to my mom for drilling it in lol), my next step with develop a relationship with my Savior.

College Love But No Fear

When I got older, it was the other way around. In college, I started playing the comparison game.

“Well, at least my sin isn’t as bad as theirs.”

“God knows my heart, no one’s perfect.”

That became my excuse for whatever behavior satisfied my sin.

I loved Jesus, but I had no fear of God.

So here’s the tension. As a child, I feared God without knowing His love. As an adult, I loved Jesus without reverencing His holiness. Either way, the balance was off.

The Bible’s Balance

Scripture makes it clear:

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” (Proverbs 1:7)

“Continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling.” (Philippians 2:12)
“Let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.” (Hebrews 12:28–29)

True knowledge of God leads to a deeper revelation of our identity in Him. And when love and holy fear come together, the evidence is obedience.

This is the fine print many of us miss, and why our foundational verse in 1 Corinthians 4:5 is so important.

One day, every hidden motive will be brought into the light. The only safe place is living in the balance of love and holy fear.

I pray that as we study it, both you and I will hear the voice of God revealing if there is anything in us He wants to bring into the light.

If you want to see what’s planned for the other three weeks, they are available at the end.

Now, let’s dive into this first example: Satan, the devil, the adversary.

Lucifer: Borrowed Light That Faded

Pull your phone or computer in close and listen for a nugget, a word of inspiration that God wants to impart to us today. We may have heard the story of Lucifer’s fall before, but let’s lean in and listen for one fresh word from God that can deepen our understanding of our heart posture today.

Before his fall, Satan was known as Lucifer, a glorious angel created by God. Everything God created was good, remember that. Lucifer was not created evil. In Ezekiel 28:12–17, he is described as “the anointed cherub.” How beautiful is that?

Lucifer is also called “son of the morning.” But what does that mean, not in our culture, but in the context in which it was written? It meant that he was in a position designed to reflect the light of God. The morning star shines bright, but it quickly fades when the sun rises.

However, Revelation 22:16 shows us the greater truth: Jesus is “the Bright and Morning Star.” He is bothum the sun and the star. His light never fades.

Based on our foundational verse for this series:

“He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart.”

1 Corinthians 4:5

The light of God exposes the heart. Imagine your deepest thoughts displayed on a PowerPoint behind you as you walk around all day. What would people learn about you that they didn’t know or that you try to hide?

Does your heart reflect Jesus?

Now let’s look at what Lucifer’s heart revealed in Isaiah 14:13–14.

Some call this The Five “I Wills” of Lucifer.....the Heart of Pride:

I will ascend into heaven.
I will exalt my throne above the stars of God.
I will sit on the mount of the congregation, on the farthest sides of the north.
I will ascend above the heights of the clouds.
I will be like the Most High.

Reflection

Lucifer’s fall reminds us that pride is often rooted in a lack of holy fear. He wanted God’s glory without bowing to God’s authority. His borrowed light could never compete with the eternal brilliance of Christ.

The same truth applies to us. Without holy fear, love alone can slip into self-centeredness. We begin to say in our hearts, “I will do it my way. If I do not do it, no one will. I am fine. I do not need help.” It may not sound as dramatic as Lucifer’s “I wills,” but the posture is the same, placing ourselves where only God belongs.

Holy fear keeps our hearts humble. It keeps our motives pure. It keeps us living in awe of the One whose light never fades.

What does your heart say right now? Pause and truly consider this, friend.

Scripture says that those who fear the Lord receive the following just to name a few:

Psalm 34:7.... The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and He delivers them.
Psalm 19:9... The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever.
Psalm 25:14... The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear Him; He makes His covenant known to them.
Proverbs 14:27... The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, turning a person from the snares of death.

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for being a good Father. Please forgive me for trying to do things my own way. Forgive my sins, known and unknown. Bring to my attention anything that grieves Your Spirit. Create in me a clean heart (Psalm 51:10). May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in Your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer (Psalm 19:14).