The Bible says the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. It doesn’t say the fear of failure is wisdom, nor fears of loss, getting hurt, or there not being enough. Those kinds of fear will tell you to hide who you are, protect yourself from trusting anyone, judge anything different from you, and that it’s always too dangerous to move forward.
As I’ve walked with him, I’ve found the fear of God to be opposite of those lies. It’s an awe that keeps your heart in childlike wonder, so you can embrace his joy, and be transformed by his glory. It’s an awe that makes fear and hatred small, and faith and hope huge, no matter what anyone says or does. An awe that inspires you to live your life in full light of the revelation that God really is love.
Find some time alone with God today. Let him remind you of his blessings in your life throughout the years. In that awesome peace, let your heart be healed, strengthened, and encouraged. Let his love for you, and his joy in you, displace every anxiety and insecurity. Let him deal with every dark thought, until every space fear occupied is filled with faith, hope, and love. Let your awe grow bigger than any problem, and you’ll have all the wisdom you need to solve it.
“And as we live in God, our love grows more complete . . . This kind of love has no fear, because love formed in his presence always displaces it. If we’re afraid, it’s for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not yet fully experienced his amazing love” (1 John 4:17-18, paraphrase).
Equip Your Spirit 