Are you a God loving or a God fearing person?

When we talk about religion and spirituality, there are always two kinds of people - the God-loving and the God-fearing. And while both have a deep and pure love and devotion towards the higher powers of the universe, their behaviours, form of devotion, and their attitude towards other humans are somewhat different and driven by their leaning of fearing or loving. While a God loving person sees every human and creature as a form of the divine, a God fearing person can at times be a little more ritualistic.

Here we list a few signs to determine if you are a God loving or a God fearing person.

A God-loving person sees God or the divine as a source of unconditional love and compassion. Their faith is more in God’s love and divinity than the wrath that is described people. To them, God is much more than someone who looks at your actions and determines whether you will stay with him or with evil.
For God-loving people, religion and spirituality is a journey of love, where every experience is an opportunity to connect with the divine.
For example, ‘ABC’ is a God-loving person who sees God's love in everything around them. From the little butterfly in the garden to the person who brings them their morning coffee. A human who is God-loving finds solace in prayer, and when faced with challenges, trusts God's guidance.

As opposed to a God-loving person who is usually easy going, a God-fearing person is much more ritualistic, stern, and loves to open the holy book whenever possible. They see God as a powerful entity whose judgement must be respected and fear of bad judgement is their motivation for obedience and adherence to religious principles.
For example, ‘XYZ’ is a God-fearing person, and goes to a temple or church or any religious place regularly. But, these regular visits are only out of fear of punishment. He or she follows religious rituals, only because they believe that any deviation could make them a victim of God's wrath.

Whether a person is God loving or God fearing can also be determined by their interactions with others. A person who is God-loving will always be much more loving, compassionate, and respectful of the other person no matter what religious beliefs they hold. A God-loving person does not care if another human does early morning aarti or not, visits the church every sunday or not, and the likes.

As compared to a God-loving person, a God-fearing person is constantly in judgement and in fear of judgement. They are always cautious of who they hang out with, who they make friends with, who they tell their kids to stay away from, and the likes. They adhere to a certain religious value and only blend with people of similar beliefs. And those who do not adhere to those rules are seen with scepticism and disdain.
For example, ‘XYZ’ is a God-fearing person. So, one can always see him or her maintain distance from people of different faiths, and they always have the fear that interacting with someone of another belief could lead them astray from their religious path.

How people face and cope with problems can also determine if they are God loving or God fearing. God-loving people often find strength in their faith, and believe that God's love will help them get above the petty issues and problems. During tough times they turn to prayer, meditation, or community support.
A God-fearing person on the other hand will see the problem or bad situation as the wrath of God. They will equate it to one of their bad actions and will start apologising to God and will ask for miracles afterwards. They feel that making a sacrifice will help them appease God again.

As humans, our morals are often shaped by two things - morals taught by parents and morals learned through spiritual beliefs. And these morals influence our ethical decisions and behaviours. God-loving humans prioritise love, compassion, and empathy and are guided by the thought that all creatures, human or animal, deserve love and respect. They love themselves and their fellows and holding judges is never a part of their agenda.
God-fearing people on the other hand are guided by not what they see around them, but rather what they have been taught by scriptures and strict upbringings. They see moral and ‘limited’ behaviour as a means to avoid the anger and wrath of God and a means to avoid divine punishment.

Both a God-loving and a God-fearing person have one thing in common - undying belief in a higher power. And for time immemorial, that is how humans have survived! They have survived and tread through by thinking and feeling that there is always a higher power, a divine being who is looking over them and will help them no matter what happens. And while there are a few downsides to being in fear of someone who is as compassionate as God, at the end, how you wish to live is up to you.
So, be God-fearing or God-loving, at the end everything boils down to how pure your emotions, actions, and intentions were.