“We must fear God so that we do not fear men” (St. John Chrysostom).
The fear of God, which is the beginning of wisdom (Prv 1:7), leads us to carefully avoid anything that could offend our beloved Father out of love for Him.
It is the beginning of a great awakening of love and the unfolding of the gifts of the Holy Spirit within us. The fear of God leads us to focus more and more on our Heavenly Father, whose goodness we have recognized and whom we want to serve with all our strength. This brings a great freedom since we no longer primarily focus our gaze on people with the intention of pleasing them. This is how order enters into relationships with people.
Of course, this does not mean that we will treat people arbitrarily or neglect our duties or charity toward them. That would not please our Father at all. However, people may demand or expect things from us that do not conform to God’s will. If we allow ourselves to be carried away by human respect and the fear of what others will say, we risk fulfilling all of their wishes, even false ones, to avoid conflict. Such an attitude, however, leads to a state of captivity. The fear of God, on the other hand, examines the desires of others and asks: “Is it right in the eyes of our Father to do this or that just because the other person wants or expects it of me?”
This applies not only to the personal sphere but also to the ecclesial and political spheres.
With this in mind, we can better understand St. John Chrysostom’s saying: “The fear of God preserves us from enslaving ourselves to human respect.” How important this is for Christian witness in the present times! How much it will please our Father if we stand firm in the truth out of love for Him and do not allow ourselves to be confused!