A reader recently asked me, “How do I draw closer to God, if I have a fear of him?” I was touched by the bravery and vulnerability it took to pose the question. I suspect that many of us have felt this way, or feel this way still, and often struggle to admit it to ourselves.

There are countless reasons why we are afraid of God. Here are a few that readily come to mind for me:

We’ve been told that we have to fear God. That the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.

The God that we’ve been...