The top ten phobias of man according to a 2015 poll of 20,500 are:

A. Acrophobia (Heights)

B. Arachnophobia (Spiders)

C. Claustrophobia (Enclosed Spaces)

D. Ophidiophobia (Snakes)

E. Thalassophobia (Deep Water)

F. Necrophobia (Death)

G. Glossophobia (Public Speaking)

H. Coulrophobia (Clowns)

I. Trypanophobia (Needles)

J . Entomophobia (Insects)

Neither the fear of God nor the fear of hell are mentioned. Adam and Eve had nothing to fear in the garden, not even the universal fear of death (Hebrews 2:15). The first time He felt fear was a direct result of sin. God had told him that he would die as a result of sin (Genesis 2:17), When God came into the garden after he sinned, instead of meeting Him for a time of communion, Adam hid himself in fear (Genesis 3:10). We need to fear God, but in a healthy way. The true fear of God keeps us from doing evil and draws us close to God. It does not drive us away from Him. The fear of God should have kept Adam from disobeying God. Now instead of having a preemptive fear of his actions causing a breach in his relationship with God, he was fearing the consequences of his actions. This situation is also reflected in repentance. True repentance is being sorry we caused a breach in our relationship with God (Isaiah 59:1-2), not just being sorry we got caught. Saul pretended he was sorry when Samuel caught him in disobedience, but he was just sorry he got caught (1Samuel 15).

There are many things man can be afraid of such as the fear of failure, the fear of responsibility., and the fear of what man will do to us; but the only healthy, liberating fear is the fear of God. We either fear God or man. The fear of man brings a snare (Proverbs 29:25). The fear of other things has torment (1John 4:!8). The fear of God gives us many benefits. The Bible tells us of 41 of them. The most important of these is relationship with Him.