Think of learning math. You must learn to count as well as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division before you can go on to learning ‘advanced’ math. Once you have learned these ‘basics’, you have learned math, although there is still much more to learn. However, by learning theses basics, you are now in a position to learn more advanced math. The advanced math will make sense to you now because you have the basics.
The relationship between wisdom and the fear of the Lord is similar. Before you can have ‘advanced’ wisdom, you must learn the ‘basics,’ which happens to be the fear of the Lord. Once you have learned the fear of the Lord, you have learned wisdom, although there is still much more to learn. However, by learning the fear of the Lord, you are in a position to understand more wisdom because you have learned the basics, the rudiments of wisdom.
Unfortunately, few Christians today understand what the fear of the Lord is, much less practice it. This has led to a shortage of wise Christians is the church today, which is minimizing the impact the church has. So exactly what is the fear of the Lord?
A simple definition is “a continual awareness of the presence of God.” To understand the impact of this, think back to a time when you were doing something that your father would not have approved of. If your father was present, would you have done it? Probably not. Well, our Heavenly Father is always present. Proverbs 5:21 states “For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord, and He ponders all his paths.”
Being aware that God is present with you at all times, watching all you do, will change your behavior, especially in light of the fact that we will one day stand before Him. What you say to other, how you behave when you think you are alone, how you spend your time, and many other things would most likely be different if you pictured Jesus standing beside you every moment of every day. You would take His commands seriously and obey all that you know He expects you to do. You would suddenly begin to make wise choices. This is part of the reason why the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.
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