The Fear We've Forgotten!!

Scripture (Proverbs 9:10, NKJV):

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding."

Devotional:

The more I watch the world, the more I realize something. We’ve stopped fearing the Lord. Not just one group of people. All of us.

When we stop fearing God, we start fearing everything else - people’s opinions, rejection, politics, culture, money, success, failure, and fitting in. The fear of the Lord isn’t about being scared that He’s waiting to punish us. It’s a deep reverence that says, “Lord, You are holy, and Your opinion matters more than anyone else’s.”

When we lose that reverence, we begin writing our own rules instead of following His. That’s why the Bible says the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. It all starts there. If I truly fear the Lord, I’ll ask, “What does God say?” before I ask, “What does culture say?” If I truly fear the Lord, I’ll care more about obedience than popularity. If I truly fear the Lord, I’ll love people enough to tell them the truth, but I’ll also remember that I needed that same grace myself.

One of the clearest signs that we’ve lost the fear of the Lord is how focused we’ve become on ourselves. We live in a world that constantly tells us to put ourselves first, chase our own success, protect our own image, and prove we’re better than everyone else. But Jesus showed us the exact opposite. He humbled Himself, served others, washed His disciples’ feet, and ultimately gave His life for us.

The truth is, when we truly fear the Lord, our focus shifts. We stop asking, “How can I get ahead?” and start asking, “How can I serve?” We stop trying to prove our worth because our worth has already been settled at the cross. We don’t have to compete with anyone else when our identity is secure in Christ.

Maybe the world doesn’t just need more successful people. Maybe it needs more servants who fear the Lord. Every one of us has sinned. Every one of us has fallen short. Every one of us needs Jesus. The answer isn’t simply changing laws, schools, churches, families, or culture.

The answer is hearts returning to a holy reverence for God. Because when we fear the Lord, wisdom follows. When wisdom follows, humility grows. When humility grows, serving others becomes more important than serving ourselves. And when people who fear the Lord begin serving like Jesus, the world can’t help but notice the difference.

Questions to consider:

1. Is there an area of my life where I’ve been listening to culture more than I’ve been listening to God?

2. Do I fear disappointing people more than I fear grieving the Lord?

3. This week, how can I intentionally serve someone else the way Jesus served me?

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, teach me what it truly means to fear You - not with terror, but with deep love, reverence, and awe. Forgive me for the times I’ve cared more about what people think than what You have said. Help me to choose obedience over comfort, truth over popularity, and Your voice over every other voice competing for my attention.

Lord, forgive us for becoming so focused on ourselves that we’ve forgotten why You placed us here. You didn’t call us to build our own kingdoms - you called us to build Yours. Give us hearts that are humble enough to serve, hands that are willing to help, and eyes that see the needs of others before our own.

Remind us that our value doesn’t come from being better than someone else. Our value comes from being Your children, redeemed by the blood of Jesus. Because of that, we don’t have to compete - we’re free to love, serve, encourage, and point others to You.

Bring our hearts back to a holy fear of You. Let revival begin with me. May my life reflect wisdom, humility, obedience, and the love of Christ in everything I do.

In Jesus’ mighty name,

Amen. ❤️