Recently, I read about how the fears of things like thunderstorms are transformed into awe for God through knowing Christ as our redeemer. Additionally, this Christian awe of things is notably a healthy thing. In the book Rejoice & Tremble: The Surprising Good News of the Fear of the Lord by Michael Reeves, we read,
““Recent scientific studies confirm some of these benefits of awe for healthy living. In 2018, the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology reported on a series of studies that sought to show how experiences of awe promote greater humility. They found that “when individuals encounter an entity that is vast and challenges their worldview, they feel awe, which leads to self-diminishment and subsequently humility.” They also found that “inducing awe led participants to present a more balanced view of their strengths and weaknesses to others . . . and acknowledge, to a greater degree, the contribution of outside forces in their own personal accomplishments. Another set of studies published in 2018, in Emotion, sought to demonstrate the impact of awe on well-being and stress-related symptoms. The authors found that for every participant in the studies, after experiences of awe, symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder decreased, while scores of general happiness, satisfaction with life, and social well-being, all improved.”
pp.17–18
It’s not that our main aim is physical health, but it is noteworthy that our physical health is observably affected by the type of fear that we have of God—not one of dread, but of delight. This accords with what we read in Proverbs 3,
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.” (Proverbs 3:5–8 emphasis mine)