The title is the article and it’s a play on words related to one of Solomon’s more famous statements in the Bible…
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
(Proverbs 1:7)
The statement comes early in the Proverbs writings, so it’s no wonder that we instantly associate it with Solomon. It should be noted, however, that his daddy said it first…
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.
(Psalm 111:10)
Both men were inspired when they wrote their respective statements so it’s splitting hairs to argue over “who” said it; God said it, that settles it.
The point is there’s more to it.
Yes it’s true (obviously, since God said it) that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, but it’s also true that the fear of the Lord is the secret to another often-desired trait that people pray for, desire, and seek to attain all their lives.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of contentment.
When a person is content, they recognize that God will take care of them, whether that means they have a lot or a little to their name, it doesn’t matter; they’re sheep and He’s the shepherd. They’re okay because He’s in control. When God gave the wandering Israelites bread to sustain them, He gave it every day with the command that they take only what they needed for that day. He wanted them to trust Him, to rely on Him, not the bread. When we fear (respect) the power of God, we realize that giving us our daily bread is no trouble at all for Him; it’s as effortless a task as blinking. That level of fear for His awesomeness produces reassurance, peace, and, yes, even contentment, because we know “we’re going to be okay; God’s got this.”
On the other hand, when we tell ourselves “I can take care of myself!” we’re actually telling God “I don’t trust that You are powerful enough to do the job.” We essentially have no respect for God, no fear for His power, and no confidence in His abilities. It’s no wonder that people who live with that mindset are high-strung, nervous, anxious wrecks. They are running left and right, spinning plates on poles, trying to keep everything going, wearing themselves out in the process.
Me? I’ve got a lot on my plate; probably too much, but I understand that God is big enough to handle all my problems (and then some). I just need help remembering to let Him take control. When I do, I find life is a lot easier to live. When I see a problem and think “I don’t know if I can handle that, but I know God can,” what follows is calmness, peace, and, yes, even the ever-elusive contentment that so many people in this world are craving.
It’s right there for the taking; all you need to start with is a fear of the Lord.
~ Matthew