What Does It Mean To Fear The Lord And Why Should I Do It ?
When people hear the phrase fear of the Lord, they often imagine being afraid of God.
But in Scripture, the fear of the Lord is much deeper than simple fear.
It is not primarily about terror.
It is about seeing reality correctly.
The fear of the Lord begins with understanding who God is and who we are in relation to Him.
It Begins with Who God Is
God made everything.
He made the world we live in, the air we breathe, and the life we have been given.
He made us.
Not only that, but through Christ He purchased us back at the cost of His own life.
The more we understand who God is, the more we begin to understand why Scripture speaks so often about fearing Him.
He is holy.
He is just.
He is powerful.
He is wise.
He is perfectly good.
He is loving.
He is sovereign over all things.
Nothing surprises Him. Nothing escapes His authority. Nothing exists apart from Him.
God is not merely someone who offers advice for life.
He is the Creator, Sustainer, and rightful King of all creation.
When we see Him as He truly is, we begin to understand that He is the One whose opinion matters most and whose authority deserves our submission.
Understanding Who We Are
The fear of the Lord also requires understanding who we are.
We are creatures made by Him and for Him.
Our lives are not self-created and they are not self-owned or self-sustained.
We were designed to know God, worship Him, glorify Him, and live in relationship with Him.
Recognizing this changes how we view ourselves.
We are not the center of reality.
God is.
We are not the ultimate source of wisdom.
God is.
We are not the highest authority.
God is.
The fear of the Lord begins when we willingly take our rightful place before Him.
What Does the Fear of the Lord Look Like?
The fear of the Lord is being aware of God’s character and taking Him seriously.
It is reverential trust toward Him.
It is recognizing that His wisdom is greater than ours, His ways are better than ours, and His authority is rightful.
The fear of the Lord leads us to listen when He speaks.
It leads us to trust when we do not understand.
It leads us to obey even when obedience is difficult.
Not because God is harsh, but because He is good.
Not because He is untrustworthy, but because He has proven Himself faithful.
Scripture tells us that God opposes the proud but draws near to the humble. He keeps His promises. He delights in those who trust Him and walk in His ways.
The fear of the Lord is not running from God.
It is taking refuge in Him.
The Beginning of Wisdom
Proverbs repeatedly tells us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.
Why?
Because wisdom begins when we stop pretending that we know best.
Wisdom begins when we recognize that we are created beings living in God’s world under God’s authority.
Living in God’s world as creatures made by Him and for Him means submitting to our wise Maker in all things.
He has the right to rule.
We have the responsibility to obey.
In the words of Tim Mackie, the fear of the Lord is accepting both our capabilities and our limitations as created beings and submitting ourselves to One who is greater, wiser, and more trustworthy than we are.
It is seeing God as He truly is, seeing ourselves as we truly are, and responding with reverence, humility, trust, and obedience.
That is why the fear of the Lord is not the end of wisdom.
It is the beginning.