“Fear God? Or Know God?”
Every so often I hear people say it: “If I walked into a church, it would burn down.” Or, “Don’t give me holy water—it would sizzle on my skin.” Sometimes it’s said with a laugh, but often, underneath the humor, there’s a thread of pain. A sense of unworthiness. A belief that God could not possibly want anything to do with them.
And if I’m honest, that breaks my heart. Because that is not God.
God is not a cosmic fire waiting to consume you the moment you step into a sanctuary. He is not standing at the door with a scorecard, waiting to see if you’ve cleaned yourself up enough to be allowed in. God does not call us into fear—He calls us into love. Pure, relentless, unconditional love.
Fear vs. Love
We live in a culture that sometimes equates religion with judgment. The message people hear is that God only accepts the flawless. That if you’ve messed up, wandered off, or carry scars and regrets, you’re unwelcome. But Scripture tells a very different story.
From Genesis to Revelation, the heartbeat of God is relationship. He walked with Adam and Eve in the garden. He wrestled with Jacob. He called Moses through a burning bush. He sought out prophets, kings, fishermen, and outcasts—not because they were perfect, but because they were His.
And then, He sent Jesus. Not to condemn the world, but to save it. Not to demand our perfection, but to meet us in our imperfection.
Who Did Jesus Choose?
If you really want to understand God’s heart, look at who Jesus surrounded Himself with. Fishermen who smelled like their catch. A tax collector despised by his own people. A zealot. A doubter. A man who would eventually betray Him. These weren’t the polished and pristine—they were ordinary, messy, flawed.
And Jesus said to them, “Follow me.”
He touched the leper that society declared untouchable. He forgave the woman caught in adultery when everyone else wanted to stone her. He dined with sinners when the religious elite whispered behind His back. He did not fear their brokenness. He embraced it.
Your Story Matters
Maybe you’ve thought your story disqualifies you. That your past is too heavy. That your mistakes are too many. That if you step foot in God’s house, you don’t belong. But here’s the truth: God already knows your story. Every chapter. Every page. Every word. And still, He calls you His.
You are not defined by your worst day. You are not excluded by your failures. Your scars do not scare Him. In fact, they may be the very places He chooses to write redemption into your life.
God doesn’t say, “Fix yourself, then come to Me.” He says, “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)
The Invitation
The church will not collapse if you walk inside. Holy water will not burn you. And God will not turn you away. Instead, He will meet you right where you are—whether that’s in a pew, in your living room, or in the middle of your mess.
Fear pushes us away. Love draws us in. And perfect love—God’s love—casts out fear (1 John 4:18).
So if you’ve been hesitant, thinking God is waiting to condemn you, hear this: He’s not. He’s waiting to embrace you. To call you beloved. To remind you that you belong.
Because at the end of the day, God doesn’t want your fear. He wants your heart.
