God’s Gift of Awe
Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe. (Hebrews 12:28)
Awe is a blessing we should all seek to experience. Looking back on life, I experienced awe as an adolescent while canoeing and portaging in the Boundary Waters. The day Jill and I got married was awe-inspiring because I felt love through the knowledge we were committing ourselves to each other for the rest of our lives. Watching our daughter Hannah come into the world was an awe-inspiring moment. Awe was also something I experienced on the day of my ordination. The idea that God’s call was actualized that day was humbling and exhilarating at the same time.
I felt awe riding my motorcycle through the Rocky Mountains. The first time I played my guitar in a Taizé service, it brought a spiritual sense of wonder.
Think of the moments in your life that you would describe as awe-inspiring. Write them down. Remember them and thank God for each one. Each one was a divine gift. In “The New Outdoors”, Ray Wirth offers the article, “What Is It You Plan to Do with Your One Wild and Precious Life?” Wirth calls us to seek out and experience moments of awe. He says, too often, “There are times when life feels neither wild nor precious-when it feels tame, predictable, and banal instead.” Reviewing Wirth’s article reminded me of God’s intention for our lives. God aims for our lives to be joyous, meaningful, and filled with awe. In Biblical Hebrew and Greek, the word “awe” can also be translated as “fear.”
Other Biblical Hebrew and Greek translations for awe are “amazement, astonishment, or wonder.” There is a small expression of fear in each form of awe. There was fear in each example of my moments of awe. I was afraid when pondering whether I could be a good husband, pastor, and father. There is fear of being exposed on a motorcycle in the mountains or a canoe in the Minnesota/Canadian wilderness. Fear helps us feel alive.
There is a similar involvement of fear in our relationship with God. There is a threat in our experiences of awe. There is a risk of getting married, having a child, or becoming a minister. Perhaps each situation would not work out. Yet, allowing fear to keep you from awe would leave life “tame, predictable, and banal.” God wants us to take intelligent risks and appreciate the gift of awe. Be open to God’s leading and brave enough to respond faithfully. When you do, awe will be a regular part of your life.