The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the
knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”(Proverbs
9:10)
The fear of the Lord is not a shaking in your boots type of
fear. It is not a fear that is paralyzing and stops us from moving
forward. It is a parent/child
relationship. As a child you might have been afraid of doing wrong for fear of
what the reaction from your parents might be (Especially if you have been
forewarned as to what the consequences would be.), or have a fear of disappointing
or letting them down. Our love and revelation of who God is, brings us to a
place of taking Him seriously too.
You have a woman who is not happy in her marriage and the temptation
arises to have an adulterous affair, yet she stops and counts the cost. She
knows God’s Word, and fears the consequences that she could incur if she moves
forward. And even though she is unhappy, she chooses not to sin against God,
because she possesses the fear of the Lord through wisdom and an understanding of
who He is. And this stops her from walking into the fire. She has saved herself
from a host of troubles—divorce, shame, pregnancy, venereal disease, HIV, loss
of her home, children and maybe even her job or good standing in her community.
All sorts of things happen to us when we make a “death” choice, versus a “life”
choice.
And then there is what I like to call “common sense fears.” such
as knowing better than jogging on isolated trails in the wee hours of the
morning or doing anything that puts us in harm’s way when we don’t have to be.
Women are rapped, murdered, robbed and beaten all the time in dark parking
lots, alleyways, city streets and isolated trails.
But there is a spirit of fear that can be very devastating,
and have long reaching consequences. This type of fear is a silent killer of
dreams, hope, obedience and trust in God. This is a spirit we must stand up
against and not allow it to control us.
Timothy tells us, that God has not given us a spirit of
fear.
Therefore we know that the
paralyzing—I’m so scared I can’t move or doing anything—what am I going to do
kind of fear—is not from God.
Sisters, we cannot be
so afraid of making a mistake or failure, that we don’t step out on faith and do things.
Please don’t
misinterpret my statement to mean that we just do whatever the heck we
want regardless of warnings we might be getting. No, that is not what I am
talking about here. I’m referring to the opportunities we encounter for
something new and different, but the spirit of fear will stifle us.
My youngest daughter
(will graduate college in May 2015) might have a teaching opportunity were she
will have to learn how to drive, purchase a car, and find an apartment in a
matter of a couple of months, during this upcoming summer. The possibilities
are exciting, yet if she doesn’t remain focused on who God is in her life, fear
can set in and tell her she can’t do it! It’s impossible! But if this is the
course that God has deemed for her, it will happen!
Some of you might
want to move to another state or country, but leaving friends, family and what
is familiar is scary, so you stay where you are. Maybe there is a job or
different position at your place of employment, that you’ve had your eye on,
but fear has convinced you that you can’t handle it, so you never apply. Maybe
the Holy Spirit has been giving you ideas to do things, but fear sneaks in to
discourage you and make you think, “No way!”
Life is full of maybes, uncertainties, and even mistakes, but God is still with us in all of it.
Sometimes we just
have to say, “Yes!” even when we are scared. We can trust God to stop us if we
are making a mistake or taking a wrong turn.
You might be in a
situation such as living with a man that is not your husband and God is telling
you to get out, but fear of being alone and starting over are scary—so you have
stayed.
We can no longer
standstill and allow being afraid dictate to us how life is going to be. No!!
Jesus endured too much for us to not be the “more than conquerors” we are meant to be. And that means,
conquering and giving the spirit of fear a run for its money.
So, if you think
writing a book or blog is in you—get started! If you want to do something to
help the lost or poor—go for it! Maybe you want to start a reading club for
children, or teach them how to knit or crochet—do it! Maybe you have a desire
to start a small business—what are you waiting for! Maybe you need a fresh
start and want to move to another place—start packing!
Maybe fear is
telling you that you are too old to be of use or do anything new. Don’t listen
to it! Say, “Yes,” to the dance lessons you want to take. Say, “Yes,” to the
painting club you want to join. Say, “Yes” to learning how to play that
instrument you never got to play as a kid.
Sisters, learn to
say, “YES!” even when you are scared, especially when it means leaving behind
all that makes you comfortable.
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