City Life Starter

Written by Aisha Darwesh

The Word

³¹ So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied. –Acts 9:31 ESV

⁵ For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. ⁶ For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. –Romans 8:5-6 ESV
 

Aisha’s Analysis

Following Paul’s journey through Jerusalem, Caesarea, and Tarsus, the church throughout the region had peace and was being built up as seen in the scripture above. This season of peace and walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit led to growth. 

What a beautiful picture compared to the heated disputes and heavy persecution the disciples of Jesus faced earlier on. Now that things seemed to be calming down, it was a time for building up–both individually and as a community of believers. 

The above scripture gives us two vital ways the church is built up: walking in 1) the fear of the Lord; and, 2) the comfort of the Holy Spirit. Let’s examine both a little more closely. 

Firstly, walking in the fear of the Lord does not necessarily mean that you are terrified of God or fear His punishment. I like to think of fear of God as a deep awareness and reverence of Him. Walking in the fear of the Lord is taking each step with the Lord in mind. Giving God your full attention and being mindful of Him in daily living leads to personal formation and unity among believers. It’s wonderful to see the emergence of the early church walking in the fear of the Lord during a time of peace when they were not being persecuted. Now that there was peace, followers of the way could give their full attention to God without fear of immediate threats to their safety. 

Secondly, they were also walking in the comfort of the Holy Spirit. According to Strong’s Concordance, the word “comfort” is “paraklesis” which can also mean “encouragement,” “urging,” or “exhortation.” Imagine having someone in your life to provide counsel, encouragement, and comfort in every situation. That’s exactly who we have in the Holy Spirit. He provided guidance to the church as it was being built up, and as a result, it multiplied. 

I believe the same could be said of the church today, both collectively as a body of believers and individually as a temple of the Holy Spirit (we take church with us everywhere we go). As we walk in the fear of the Lord and comfort of the Holy Spirit, we will experience growth inwardly in our faith and in numbers as more people come to faith when we boldly present Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit. 

Application

What are some practical ways you can walk in the fear of the Lord and comfort of the Holy Spirit? The word “walk” speaks to our personal lifestyle and daily habits. Are there any practices you can implement daily to cultivate the fear of the Lord and comfort of the Holy Spirit? 

This could look like a number of things, but allow God’s Spirit to speak to your heart in a personal way. As Romans 8:6 states above, “to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.” Set your mind on the Spirit and allow the fear of the Lord and the comfort of the Holy Spirit to guide your choices today.

Prayer

Father God, thank You for freeing my mind as I resolutely choose to set my mind on the Holy Spirit. May life and peace flow through me as I walk in the fear of the Lord and comfort of the Holy Spirit. May the name of Jesus be preached boldly through my life choices, in both actions and words. Lord, I’m thankful that I get to hear Your voice and follow it. In Jesus’ name, amen.