In.Motion

Now, the fear I’m talking about here isn’t your average, run-of-the-mill fear. The fear that I’m seeking to understand is the fear of the Lord. As a 22 year-old guy, I have no clue what that looks like in my life. I think this may be one of the things that I’ve battled with for quite a long time. I understand that it is important and that I need it, but I don’t know what it looks like.

It’s like telling a kid to share without showing them first hand. They have heard that sharing is good and they need to do it, but they can’t do it if they aren’t shown it.

Thats how I feel. Frustrated and just a little bit lost. Now don’t hear me say that I don’t agree with the Bible about how important it is to fear the Lord, or that it doesn’t show me how to do so. Actually, tonight I found just the opposite.

I was reading in Proverbs 2 and verses 1-5 paint a great outline for the basis of understanding the fear of the Lord. Solomon gives us five quick points that if we follow and pursue, then we will understand the fear of the Lord.

1. If you accept my words
- Just listen and take in wisdom that is spoken to you.

2. Store up my commands within you
- Internalize all the boundaries and guidelines that the Bible has given us.

3. Apply your heart to understanding
- When seeking to interpret scripture or anything of God, put your heart into it. Make it something you truly desire.

4. Call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding
- Seek insight and wisdom from mentors, disciplers, or leaders in your church about your life’s situations. Don’t hold these things in your heart, because the Bible tells us that the wise seek wise counsel.

5. Look for it (wisdom/understanding) as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure
- Hold wisdom and understanding as important, and more so, as anything worldly thing we could want.

Then, once we pursue and desire all of these things, it says that you will understand the fear of the Lord. I may not know what it looks like specifically in my life to fear the Lord, but I know where to start.

Do you know what it looks like to fear the Lord in your life? I’d love to hear what you think that looks like.

One.Love

cd

Quickly, before we start, think up a short, working definition for Prudent or Prudence.

Got it? . . . Good.

Now, didn’t we all hear that word growing up in movies and stuff. The really edgy kid who wants to do something bad to look cool would say this to the kinda nerdy kid who doesn’t want to drink beer or get in trouble. Think Judd Nelson talking to Molly Ringwald in “The Breakfast Club”.

No one wants to be the prude.

Why?

No one wants to be left out . . . but that’s another post entirely.

My point is this: I think that our view of prudence is vastly different than its original intent. We have taken this concept, that could save us a lot of trouble if we gave it some weight in our lives, and made it into something that isn’t desired. Why do I bring this up? Well, I’m glad you asked.

Proverbs 1:3-4
[In reference to seeking/attaining wisdom}
“(3)for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and just and fair; (4) for giving prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the young.”

Think back to your definition of prudent. Maybe you though of phrases like “No Fun” or “Lame” or maybe a good ole’ fashioned “Stick in the Mud”. Whatever your definition was, it probably doesn’t have a positive connotation. Here’s what it really means:

Prudent – acting with or showing care and thought for the future.

Interesting.

There’s no mention of missing out on things, or letting fun/mischievous events pass us by. Having prudence in our lives means that we are living with regard to our future. The decisions we make today effect where we are down the road, and prudence means that we are all to aware of this.

Solomon mentions this word twice, very closely together. This has got to be a point he wants us to really take hold of. He has seen how little decisions can become something that we didn’t see back when. To seek wisdom is, then, to seek prudence. To always consider, “In light of my future, what is the wise thing to do?”.

So, I urge you to take a few minutes and consider your future. Don’t try to control it or plan every detail, but think about the man/woman you want to become and think about what needs to happen for you to get there. Then, begin to live your life in such a way that will aid in your walk there.

One.Love

cd

You ever have one of those weeks? You know, when things don’t go at all like you thought they would Sunday night as you went to bed? Yea, one of those weeks.

That would be this week for me.

I’ve been sick, like a cold and just nasty stuff since Sunday. However, I’ve been blessed to have my voice hold out for Overflow and RE (which both were great this week). Other than that, its just been a dirty, no-good week. Typically, when I feel like this, I get very grumpy and tend to turn into “5-year-old Chris” (which if you haven’t met him yet, then you haven’t seen pitiful yet).

I was praying today just about life and about this week and other things, and I felt so selfish. I wanted to just yell and punch and get my way out of this week. Then I was just quiet. I just listened. The only thing that I could focus on was this: My love is strong.

So simple and so true. In times like this, it takes the quiet and the still to remind me of how tightly I’m held constantly. His love is strong. It’s stronger than any horrible week, and it’s stronger than any horrible time I could go through. His love is stronger than my will to fight Him.

Life right now for me is in a season of learning and of growing. It’s not easy nor the most enjoyable, but I see the fruit ahead. I had a good friend tell me that I need to wake up recently. I need to realize the opportunity that I have right now to grow in the Lord. I will never have this much free time in my life ever again (scary thought, ehh?). I pray for growth and for stretching every day, so that I may gain all that I can out of this time. So that I can really feel and see how strong His love truly is.

How’s your week going?

One.Love

cd