The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever! (Psalm 111:10) The fear of the Lord doesn’t mean we should be afraid of God. Allow me to clarify: we don’t need to be afraid of an attack by God. A lot of people come to our faith fearing that if rules aren’t followed, that they should begin to tremble. It is from this fear that we stand before God trying to be justified, but that just isn’t it. It’s not what God wants. Nor is it great to live in perpetual fear. So what can the Bible mean when it says that we should “fear the Lord”? Two things come to mind: first, a reverence toward God that is not to be taken for granted; and secondly, an earnestness for God that desires to do exactly what God desires. This is worship. This is wisdom. This is the place where all of us find new beginnings. This is the authentic relationship with an everlasting presence that never goes away or gases to black. Fear of the Lord is something we practice, meaning it’s something we get better at. We grow in it and therefore grow in wisdom. It’s not a one and done deal, it is a perpetual growth that should not be stopped. We never grow too old or too wise for it. If you want to be wise beyond contempt we need to practice the fear of God. We need to worship Him like we He deserves and is worthy of. May your fear in God, not of God, begin the process of wisdom in your life today.