Fear, Trembling, and the Awe of God: An Embodied Faith
I love when I feel those moments land that small voice within that echoes and whispers, pause, reflect, listen.
If anything, somatic work has taught me to be present and fully aware of God in my everyday, every moment. No longer is my faith bound to, “I must read my Bible,” or “I am not a good Christian if I don’t pray every night or show up at church on Sunday.”
My faith is no longer limited by time and place. Instead, it has become a moment-by-moment awareness that His existence is all around.
It’s why the theme for my Christian coaching is rooted in Acts 17:28:
“In Him we live and move and have our being.”
A Passage That Landed
Today, as I stood in the shower, a verse surfaced in my spirit, Phil 2:12-13:
“Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.”
The words that truly landed for me were: fear and trembling.
In the past, I’ve heard this phrase sung in hymns, spoken in sermons, even wielded as a warning. Too often it is misquoted and misused, painted as something unpleasant, a reminder of shame, guilt, or the idea that in order to be “known by God” we must cower in fear.
But what if Paul meant something much deeper, more embodied, more life-giving?
Fear as Awe, Not Threat
Emotions are not the enemy. Every emotion was created by God, and in His design, they are all welcome. It isn’t the emotion itself that misguides us, but how it is expressed.
In the Greek, the word fear is φόβος (phobos). While we often translate this as terror, in its biblical context it carries the sense of reverence, awe, respect, and humility before God not dread.
Think of it this way:
Awe isn’t just a thought. It is felt in the body.
I am in the presence of something vast, powerful, and sacred greater than me, yet drawing me in.
When was the last time you sat in prayer, or read His Word, and felt that full-body sensation goosebumps, stillness, a breath caught the wonder of His presence?
Fear in this sense is not negative. It is a posture of humility, a bodily response to the magnitude of God.
Trembling as Reverence, Not Weakness
But Paul doesn’t stop at fear, he pairs it with trembling.
The Greek word τρόμος (tromos) means trembling, shaking, quivering. Not as in terror, but as the body’s natural expression of reverence and awe when standing in the presence of something holy.
Imagine being near someone you deeply admire, perhaps a mentor, a beloved friend, or even someone you once had a crush on.
Your body tingles, you feel butterflies, maybe even a tremor in your hands. That isn’t fear of harm, it is the nervous system registering significance.
Paul reminds us: the trembling we feel before God isn’t meant to send us running in terror, but to draw us closer in awe.
A Faith That Must Be Lived Out
This passage also reminds us that faith cannot be outsourced.
“…not only in my presence but much more in my absence…”
Paul was telling the Philippians:
your faith cannot depend on me, on others, or on borrowed wisdom. It must be personal, embodied, and lived out.
That is why inner awareness and body attunement are so vital:
Embodiment guards against empty intellect. Salvation isn’t something we think out, but something we live out.
Fear (awe) is a whole-body emotion. It keeps us aligned with God, rooted in humility instead of self-reliance.
Trembling is integration. It shows that our whole being is encountering something greater than ourselves. Instead of resisting, we let the awe reshape us.
The Body as Part of the Experience
This passage reveals something beautiful:
the body is not separate from faith it is part of the experience.
Be attuned enough to your inner body and spirit that you can sense God’s movement within you and let that awe guide how you live it outward.
If we were to reframe Philippians 2:12 for the here and now, it might sound like this:
“Bring forth your healing with humility and the trembling awe of being fully present to God’s work in you.”
Selah.
Before you move on with your day, take a moment to pause and let this truth land in your body:
Sit or stand in stillness.
Place one hand over your heart and the other over your belly.
Breathe slowly, noticing the rise and fall.
Whisper: “In Him I live and move and have my being.”
Notice if there is any trembling, any subtle shift, any deep sense of awe. Allow it to be a sign of God’s nearness.
This simple practice reminds us that salvation is not just an idea to think about it is a living reality to be embodied moment by moment.
If this reflection resonated with you, I’d love to invite you to explore further:
In Whom We Live: The Somatic Outworking of a Christ-Centered Life our blog series where we explore how faith is lived through the body as well as the mind.
Anchored in the Word Course a guided journey to root your faith not just in knowledge but in embodied awareness, learning to feel Scripture in the body and live it out daily.
Both are designed to help you grow in inner awareness, break free from empty obligation, and live in the fear and trembling that is truly holy awe.
