Fear of the Lord does not mean we are to cower in expectation of severe punishment for sin (real or imagined) at every turn.  This healthy fear, rather, recognizes the awesomeness of God and our littleness comparatively (see here).  Kempis brings this up (1,20) in the context of a clear conscience and the virtues and grace the great saints exhibited — safeguarding their “security” in an honest assessment of their status in God’s friendship was the humility that must accompany these gifts of the Almighty.

The psalmist also recognizes this (Ps 33:4-5, 18-19, 20, 22).  The refrain, which happens to be the last line of the psalm, summarizes the entire psalm perfectly:

Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you. (v. 22)

Father God wants our complete trust.  He wants us humble so He can raise us up (see Lk 14:10-11 and Mt 19:30 among many examples in Scripture).  When our perspective is in proper alignment (God is God and we’re not), then we wish to do God’s will, not our own, placing Him above all things and accepting everything that comes our way in complete trust in His wisdom and mercy.