The Importance of a God-fearing Life
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,
but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
(Proverbs 1:7)
"Learn to fear God" and "teach to fear God" are two important spiritual disciplines that every Christian family has to include in their daily agenda. Children in the family, right from their infancy, need to be taught to lead a God-fearing life. At different stages of life, this discipline may be held in different ways. A baby in the house learns this discipline by the daily reflex of responding to the morning times of prayer and evening moments of singing. A child slowly begins to understand the necessity of approaching God's presence every day as the child sees and feels the importance of fearing God from the elder family members. Just in the same pattern does the learning and teaching of fearing God takes place over the decades to follow.
The Bible verse (Proverbs 1: 7) that we have taken for today's reflection reminds us of the importance of a God-fearing life. Moreover, it brings in three important pointers that are promised when we lead a God-fearing life - knowledge, wisdom and instruction. While Proverbs 1: 7 reminds us that "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge," it also reminds us that a life that "despises" fearing God is ignoring the God-given wisdom and instruction in life. As someone who has been spending most of my time with young people in the past years, especially in the academic circle in the university (both as a student in the past and as a teacher at present) and in the fellowship of youth at church, I am able to see the difference between youth who have learned or have been taught carefully from their childhood to fear God. I would like to look at these three-pointers, standing at this viewpoint.
A God-fearing life is filled with God-given knowledge.
Looking at the lifestyle and content that I find in the life of many spiritual examples that I have been meeting in the last few years, I always wondered about one thing - "how knowledgeable these people are about life, its challenges, and what to do in a given circumstance." I am not going to limit this view on knowledge within just papers and grades when it comes to knowledge (even though I have always seen God-fearing students coming out with flying colours). Going few steps further, I would say, that God has blessed those who fear Him abundantly with the knowledge to live a life of fulfillment. These people know exactly what is there before them; they know what to avoid, where to involve; what decision to make; and what to give to the society that they live in. Indeed, the fear of the Lord slowly brings in these precious jewels of knowledge into our lives. These are not just knowledge but essentials to dream of eternity!
A God-fearing life is filled with God-given wisdom.
In a very secular understanding, wisdom is the ability to make good judgments based on experience, and knowledge, and not to forget that wisdom provides very sensible judgments in life. Only a God-fearing life would be able to feel and enjoy the blessing of being filled with God-given wisdom that helps them day by day, minute by minute, to make sensible and good judgments of things around them. Their fear of God always keeps coming to God time and again to pray, ask, find answers, and apply them to the situations of their lives. God-fearing people grow up to be great women/men of God who make decisions and judgments wisely, and indeed sensibility serves greater social purposes.
A God-fearing life is filled with God-given instructions.
It is at this point that I am exactly able to see how different and special it is to be blessed and guided by God's instructions. As long as children are with their parents or at home to be taken care of, their spiritual battles are still waiting to begin. Once they are on their own, when there is no one around to instruct them, nobody is there to advise and help them, there are many of those who struggle to go the right way. Experimentations of different pleasures, spiritual attractions of various kinds that given them momentary comfort, and platters of enjoyment that serve them whatever their desires would demand, take them far away from instructions. It is in such circumstances that I have seen and have been overwhelmed with emotions when I saw how strong and instructed are those people who fear God. Nothing would turn them, nothing could distract them and nothing on the way would make them lose their vision and passion.
Today, as we understand the importance of learning and teaching a God-fearing life, let me encourage you to be an ambassador who lives such a life and then to convey the same to others around you, especially the younger generation of faith. Let us not take God for granted! Indeed, God cannot be taken. He is GOD! As we come near Him, adore Him and serve Him, let our hearts be so fearful of His everlasting glory, His majesty, His mighty deeds, and let us learn to fear God as we continue to live God-fearing.
May the blessings and power of God the Father, the love and grace of Christ Jesus the Son, and the fellowship and guidance of Holy Spirit, be with us and guide us as we live God-fearing lives that are blessed and always filled with God-given knowledge, wisdom and instruction.
May God bless you.
Yours in Christ,
"Bow Down & Worship Him"
by Benjamin Dube
