The Fear of the Lord
If we are to be wise, we must live in a true fear of the Lord. Not only to recognize what it is but to fully realize that a Holy God is watching over us, everywhere we are, and seeing everything they do. In Proverbs 9, the Lord says that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. The Bible also promises that the Fear of the Lord will be our refuge. It will bring knowledge. It will bring mercy. It will prolong our life. I believe God’s Word, and believe that these promises are true.
So what is the fear of the Lord? I can remember as a child often wondering what that really meant. Should I hide my head under the pillow and cower from him? The word fear brings an almost immediate negative reaction in my mind, and probably in the minds of others. So what is this fear, and why is it used in both a negative and positive way in the Scriptures? It brings to mind my toddler. My son has a playroom downstairs, and a couple times a day, I set a timer for 15 minutes and instruct him to stay in the playroom until the timer goes “beep, beep, beep.” He has a very clear understanding of the playroom rules. He is to enjoy his toys and play with basically anything he wants as long as it’s in the toy box or on his toy/bookshelf. It is a toddler toy heaven, and that is by design. I love having a place for Ethan to just let loose and enjoy being a kid. He has tons of freedom except for the closet. He knows that is completely off limits to him. He is not to open the door and get into anything in there. I think this is a reasonable rule, but sometimes he is just too tempted. Periodically I will go check up on him, and if he is in the closet and hears me coming, he will race around and try to get out of the closet as quick as he can. Fear creates this response. Yes the negative fear of punishment, but also the fear or respect for my authority as his mother.
As an adult I think we can relate this concept to our jobs. Almost anyone is more productive when the boss is either close by or coming into their office. I know I do this. I straighten up in my chair; I try to look as busy as possible. Now, even if you have been working your best all day (which you should obviously do), there is still a respect for your boss. You don’t want any doubt in your boss’ mind that you are slacking off or doing something you shouldn’t.
Just as a proper respect for our bosses at work enables us to focus on being as productive as possible, a proper fear of the Lord enables us to be better servants of His. Wisdom is produced by fearing the Lord because it changes our worldview. This proper view of God motivates wise people to obey. When the Almighty Creator tells you to do something, you do it. To do otherwise is foolish. When we become truly awestruck by our God we begin to live in His ways, and that is the truest form of wisdom. No wisdom can be had without first fearing the God who created the laws we try to follow.
