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The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. /proverbs 1.7

What does it mean to fear God?

Or maybe our learning should begin somewhere else: What does it mean to not fear God?

Does it mean that we have no fear? Or that our fear is focused on something less?

What do we fear instead?

Some of us are afraid of ourselves. We’re afraid of dealing with our crap so we just pretend.

Some of us are afraid of other humans. We’re afraid of their judgment and how it bruises our fragile egos.

Some of us are afraid of failure. We’re afraid that we won’t measure up. 

The fear of the Lord is not really about being afraid of God. It’s about a posture that places our concerns in the most powerful context.

When we fear the Lord, we’re worried about the things God is worried about. Our heart is for the things that God’s heart is for.

So what does it mean to fear God instead of these other things?

It means that we don’t fear poverty. Less stuff will not steal our soul. 

It means that we won’t fear hunger. Less food will not steal our soul. 

It means that we won’t fear failure. People thinking less of us can not damage our soul.

Wisdom is activated living, and the writer of Proverbs is encouraging the best possible way of life in the Lord. The way of living which is what we were created for.

We walk in the shadow of God’s powerful goodness, mercy, justice, and love. We should quake because these are the things God concerns himself with… and we often can’t get past ourselves.

Step past yourself, your will, your desires, your influences, your selfishness. Step into the realm of God’s will, God’s desires, God’s influences, and God’s greater selfishness.

That is the beginning of life.