Wisdom Principle: The Fear of the Lord
Wisdom is defined as the ability to discern truth, to know what has lasting value, and the insight to take the right course of action. Henry David Thoreau said, “It is the characteristic of wisdom not to do desperate things.” I am not trying to preach a philosophy but this quote did remind me of the truth found in the scriptures. The truth is that Christians are not to be desperate people. God did not give His Son so our decisions would be void of judgment and clouded with desperation. If we are making decisions out of desperation then we are gambling with our future. God gave us the Holy Spirit to show us with clarity the right course of action.
The Bible says that every believer has been already given every spiritual blessing including wisdom. (1 Cor 1:30, Eph 1:3) If you are saved then wisdom ALREADY belongs to you. Wisdom can belong to you but you need to be sure that you are causing it to be active in your life. We must actively participate in wisdom principles for wisdom to work. What is the first wisdom principle?
Proverbs, a.k.a. the book of wisdom, 9:10 says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom…” Or you could say it this way, “The fear of the Lord is the foundational principle of wisdom.” So to get wisdom you must walk in the fear of the Lord. What does that mean?
The fear of God does not mean that He is sitting with a giant lightning bolt ready to pour vengeance on you at any given moment. As a believer God does not desire to pour wrath on you. If you are saved that means you are spared from God’s wrath. God already put His wrath upon Jesus so He wouldn’t have to put it on you. The Bible is clear that God’s wrath is not held for God’s children.
2 Corinthians 7:1 says, “Having therefore these promises dearly beloved let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” The word “fear” in this verse means “phobia” or “dread”. The beginning of wisdom is when we shun evil in our own lives because we dread the thought of displeasing God. We have heard of different kinds of phobias. Arachnophobia is the dread of eight legged creatures. Claustrophobia is the dread of small spaces. The fear of the Lord is the dread of displeasing God. It is not mental sickness; it is a reverential lifestyle that honors God by removing oneself from wicked things.
Wisdom will not operate in the life of a person who partakes of wicked things. Wisdom is clouded in the life of a person when they destroy their bodies with substances. Wisdom is void when people watch ungodly television and movies. When wisdom is taken away then our decisions become desperate. Desperation never leads to the right course of action.
Pastor Tim
Family Church Jamestown is a non-denominational church located in Chautauqua County in Jamestown between Lakewood and Busti, NY. The senior pastor of Family Church is Pastor Tim Stahlman a native to the Jamestown, NY area.
