Leadership: The Fear Of The Lord
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Proverbs 1:7 (ESV)
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding.
Psalm 111:10 (ESV)
The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, that one may turn away from the snares of death.
Proverbs 14:27 (ESV)
His mercy is for those who fear Him from generation to generation.
Luke 1:50 (ESV)
The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep His Commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.
Ecclesiastes 12:13 (ESV)
In my earlier days as a Christian, I was comfortable believing that “fear of the Lord” meant REVERENTIAL AWE: a profound respect for our Creator– and surely, it does!
Even so, I had an unsettling thought that fear of the Lord might be literal… as in we should actually FEAR Him!
Today, I believe, yes! We should fear God. Why? Because our Teacher told us to fear Him:
'Do not fear those who kill the body, but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him Who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell' (Matthew 10:28).
Can the worst possible life-after-death scenario be made any clearer?
If we can't fathom WHY a God of love could send anyone to torturous hell… The real question is NOT His right to judge, but do we have the right to question it?
Can our limited minds understand God? Or is the question itself based on a proud presumption that we might know better?
Lucifer tested this theory... and failed.
Adam and Eve tested it, too…and failed.
Actors, models, and talent for Christ:
Fear God. Seek His guidance and approval (because your Savior did precisely that):
'He who sent Me is with Me; He has not left Me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to Him' (John 8:29).
The most pleasing thing believers can do is to love, follow, and obey His Son!
'He who has My Commandments and keeps Them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him' (John 14:21).
Here’s the bottom line: The fear of the Lord is necessary for Christian leaders. Your rising and shining marching orders mean YOU ARE DESTINED for leadership.
'How blessed is the man who fears the Lord' (Psalm 112:1).
Leadership: The Fear Of The Lord (Part 28)
NOTE: God is my Ghostwriter. If what I write is good, it’s from God! We’re ALL called to be actors (action stars) for Jesus. We’re ALL called to models of Jesus, and we ALL have gifts, talents, and callings from God– to multiply them in the world for His glory.
P.S. NO DEVOTION, PREACHER, or SERMON… can begin to replace personal time in the Bible. I wholeheartedly and clear-headedly recommend READING THE BIBLE DAILY.
WARNING: Don’t focus on favorite verses, because out of context, they’re often misinterpreted. I plead with you to READ AT LEAST 1 BIBLE CHAPTER DAILY. How long does it take? An average of 5 to 10 minutes!