The Fear of The Lord

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

-Proverbs 9:10NKJV

The fear of the Lord. What is that? What does that mean? How do we do that appropriately? Are we to fear God? Isn’t that thought contradictory? Is not God love? The Bible describes the goodness, faithfulness, and mercy of God, which does not sound like someone to fear. The Bible even shares that perfect love casts out all fear. Fear, after all, is a tool of the devil, a byproduct of sin. It’s understood that the sinner ought to have a genuine fear of God, who can destroy more than your life by casting you in the fire of hell, again the byproduct of a life of sin. But what of the believer, the one who places their ultimate faith in the salvation of the Lord Jesus Christ? Should this person fear God?

Christians should not fear God, for Jesus identified God as our Father. Jesus even helps us to understand that only God is good and that we can have a relationship with Him through Jesus Christ. This is not the fear of an abusive Father, but it is an awesome reverence and respect. God is not your “bro,” your “homeboy,” your “girlfriend,” etc. God is our Father and, as such, deserves our utmost respect and worship. We are to love and serve God. In simple forms, the fear of the Lord equals obedience. When you obey God, you fear God. When you want to sin and even feel tempted to sin, but you obey God in the face of that sin, that is fearing God. When you obey but you don’t feel like it, that is fearing God. Jesus demonstrated fear of the Lord by denying sin and obeying God.

Real Spirit-Led Leadership is obedience to God. Spirit-led leadership stands up for God for what is right, even in the face of adversity and times of discomfort for us. Leadership is standing for truth, integrity, excellence, and showing the way. Leaders must have a genuine fear of the Lord. Which is, as promised in the scripture above, the beginning of Wisdom. God will grant wisdom when we respect and honor Him. God gives favor to those who demonstrate Honor to Him. As leaders, we need wisdom to make the right choices to have a vision and to move forward. That discernment, that wisdom is found in valuing and obeying God. The primary way to do this is to learn to trust in the forgiveness of Jesus Christ and to learn to be led by the unction of the Holy Spirit.

Are you ready to Lead by fearing God today?