The beginning of wisdom is fear of the LORD (Proverbs 9:10)

“They shall not harm …for the earth shall be filled with knowledge of the LORD” (Is 11:9)

Evil and sin result from an incorrect attitude towards the world and people, from looking through the prism of one's own passions. Man would like to be better than others, to dominate, and to control. In this tendency, inherent in the heart, lies the source of evil and at the same time the source of unhappiness. Even knowledge and the search for truth, with such an attitude turns into wisdom, which is to be an instrument of domination and allows to look at the world and others from above. This is the wisdom of this world.

"I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike” (nepios means children, immature, minor) (Lk 10:21). Knowing God requires a special opening of ourselves. The Scriptures point to the "Fear of God," which is the beginning of wisdom. When Isaiah announces the coming of the messiah, he says of him: "The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him: a Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, A Spirit of counsel and of strength, a Spirit of knowledge and of fear of the LORD". Fear of the LORD does not mean dread, which closes and does not allow itself to develop. Fear of God is a rather special kind of respect for something. If we have the Fear of God within us, we listen to God's words with the utmost attention and seriousness and fulfill them. These words shape our attitude and our choices – just like in a child who has a natural sense of the importance of what the parents say.

The concept of the fear of God (Latin: Timor Dei) constantly recurs in history Church. Over the centuries it has been expressed in various ways, although never it has become a leading theme in the teaching of the Church. The idea of the fear of God inscribes itself into the background of the Christian life and if it appears in the works of writers and theologians, in the statements of the saints and the Magisterium of the Church, it is rather a kind of a factor conducive to maturity in personal relationship with God. Christianity from the beginning systematically excludes such a fear of God, whose source would be only His righteousness.

It can only exist as a fear of losing the supreme good, and therefore God himself. Fear understood in this way has a positive effect on man, because it shows the depth of the right reference to God. Man, in his relationship with God, does not perceive Him only as a transcendent and unattainable being, transcending the boundaries of all creation, but is connected with Him – with God, who enters the history of the world because he loves what he has created and wants to bring his creation to happiness in eternity. The history of the world is a place and a time of the manifestation of God who seeks man and stimulates him to a personal effort to attain salvation. The fear of God allows to avoid evil and to do good.

A perfect illustration of the difference between fear of Lord and to be afraid is the parable of the talents. The first two servants, who had respect for the master, immediately went and began to put to work the money received, while the last servant, who received one talent, buried it because he was afraid (cf. Matthew 25:14-30). Fear paralyzed him. Fear, on the other hand, in the first two released energy for work. It is usually the case that the knowledge gained from people who are authorities becomes the wisdom of life and does not drive into pride. The knowledge of the Lord that springs from the fear of God is not a knowledge that allows dominion, it cannot be transformed into a technique of power. Knowing God makes it possible to see the light that gives life, which by its very nature is coexistence, and intimate connection with others, as Isaiah describes in his book. To "know the Lord" is to experience an all-encompassing life with, coexistence with all that happens to us. Even the encounter with objects and animals, as well as loneliness are full of His presence and therefore pulsate with life.

Life is within us, so we do not need anything to affirm our worth, to give us confidence by comparison with others, and we do not need any security by gaining dominion. The fear of the Lord gives an opening that prepares us to receive that knowledge that does not lead to dominion, but to the learn from life. It is a source of humility, thanks to which we allow ourselves to be led out of the world, we learn to coexist, to live together with others, while maintaining respect for the mystery of God who fills everything.

Pure Fear of God is the result of love. There is a bilateral relationship between them: Where love appears, true fear is also revealed. There, where true fear appears, pure love appears and ignites – until merging them into one. The sign of pure Fear of God is justice – man acts justly because he fears that he may not be pleasing to God, and he desires His presence, he wants to see Him face to face.

Thank you, God, for revealing this truth to the simple, to humble people who, in their simplicity, do not seek to exalt themselves above others, but to find with it the fullness of life. Give us this simplicity of heart, the fear of God, include us in the company of those who are open to know You.

Until Tomorrow

fr, george