After watching last night’s The Last Dance documentary about the Chicago Bulls and Michael Jordan, we gain a clearer understanding of what drove them and how they operated as a team.

There is no denying that Michael Jordan’s competitiveness, leadership, passion, and intensity were used to make his teammates better.

Different players shared in the documentary how Jordan challenged them during practice. Although he was always pushing them, some viewed it as tough love.

There was an incident when he punched Steve Kerr, but usually, Jordan used verbal tactics with his teammates. He would explain, “…I’m going to ridicule you until you get on the same level with me…”

Winning six NBA Championships, it’s hard to argue with Jordan’s methods, but apparently, being his teammate wasn’t easy. Jordan wanted to win at all costs and incessantly tried to pull more out of his teammates with the hope they’d become more like him.

However, even coach Phil Jackson had to talk to Jordan about toning it down and his former teammate, Will Perdue, called him a jerk saying, “He crossed the line numerous times.”

Jordan’s motivation and desire to win seemed second to none and there’s no question people continue to respect him for the type of player he was.

But today I’d like to unpack how Jordan’s teammates viewed him and the fact they were intimidated and scared of him.

Former teammate, Jud Buechler, shared this in the documentary: “People were afraid of him. We were his teammates, and we were afraid of him. And there was just fear. The fear factor of MJ was so, so thick.”

When hearing that, do most of us think that’s a good thing? Was it necessary for Jordan to make his teammates fear him?

How about in our own lives…is there a line that gets crossed between respect and unhealthy fear in our relationships? As parents, do we want our kids to be afraid of us? Should they fear their teachers and coaches? Should we be afraid of our bosses?

This is a very challenging topic because we all have differing perspectives, motivations, personalities, experiences, and outcomes. And when we understand how relational fear ultimately affects our view of God, it becomes even more challenging.

But by looking at what the Bible teaches us about fearing the Lord we discover God’s truth.

Proverbs 1:7 (AMP) says, “The [reverent] fear of the Lord [that is, worshiping Him and regarding Him as truly awesome] is the beginning and the preeminent part of knowledge [its starting point and its essence]…”

Psalm 33:8 (ESV) tells us, “Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him!”

Proverbs 14:27 (AMP) explains, “The [reverent] fear of the Lord [that leads to obedience and worship] is a fountain of life, so that one may avoid the snares of death.”

Proverbs 19:23 (NLT) teaches “Fear of the Lord leads to life, bringing security and protection from harm.”

Proverbs 22:4 (ESV) gives us this truth: “The reward for humility and fear of the Lord is riches and honor and life.”

The Bible talks a lot about the fear of the Lord and there are many blessings to proper fear that are rooted in awe and respect. Unfortunately, too many of us have no fear or reverence at all or we have an unhealthy fear that prevents us from embracing His love, grace, and kindness.

Some of us think of God as the angry dad we grew up with or the unreasonable boss we work for. This leads to walking on eggshells, so to speak, and thinking God is angry with us and out to get us.

It’s one thing to desire to please God because we love and appreciate Him, but harmful to walk around scared that God is going to “punch us” or send a lightning bolt to destroy us after one “missed shot.”

He is loving and kind and certainly not a jerk! Of course, as followers of Jesus, He wants us to grow and mature and become more like Him, but He’s not angrily yelling at us or pointing His finger while ridiculing us for falling short. We can joyfully pursue obedience from a place of love and honor – not from being scared.

We must remember God is the sovereign and omniscient creator who is powerful, yet approachable. He is infinite, yet personal while being just, yet filled with grace.

Understanding that our next breath is His choice and the penalty for sin is death, we should be driven to fear, humility, respect, and awe.

At the same, we know that God loved us so much, He sent Jesus to die for us and made a way for us to know Him and be with Him for eternity. Our only hope for salvation is through Jesus.

God is God and we are not. Let’s have a healthy fear of our loving and good Heavenly Father by seeking to know His true character more and more.

I’m Bryce Johnson and you can UNPACK that!

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I know I fall short of Your glory and I can’t earn my salvation, but I’m so grateful for Your love and grace through Jesus. I stand in awe of You and Your goodness. Please help me have the proper fear of You that leads to joyful obedience and worship. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.

Discussion Questions for PACKS:

1. In what ways have you had an unhealthy fear of a parent, coach, teacher, or boss?

2. Why does having the proper understanding of fear affect our view of God?