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The Fear of the Lord

            The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. (Proverbs 9:10)

          I keep repeating this sort of thing because I think it’s vital. A lord is whatever directs, guides, or controls our lives, our thoughts, and our beliefs. Fear of that lord, whether warranted or not, includes recognizing that there is a price we must pay for committing treason against that lord. If the price is too low, there will be no fear and really no lord. That way lies chaos and disaster. If the price is too high, ultimately, the lord in question must either find a way for someone other than the people to pay the price (which is what Jesus did) or destroy everyone who commits treason (which means everyone.)

          Now, a good lord must provide direction, guidance, control, and consequences in our lives and we must acknowledge them in our lives, even if our acknowledgement is negative. We may not like them, but having defined limits is good for us. Imagine what life would be like if anything were possible except consistency.

          It’s unlikely that any of us can function for long without someone or something assuming the role of our lord. It is wise, therefore, to choose the best possible person or thing, which means that it is the person or thing that most clearly works within the boundaries of reality. After all, wisdom involves dealing with reality. One challenge in doing this is avoiding the tendency to believe that what we want to be true is real. This is the reason I reject most religions, because they are based on the strange notion that we can earn our way to Heaven. The Bible shows us something more real. We can’t. Only God can. Learning to do things His way, which is respecting or “fearing” Him, brings us to what’s real.

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