The beginning of knowledge

Proverbs 1:7
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.

When I first heard this verse, I didn’t know the word fear has three distinct meanings. I would always imagine a person cowering before God, or he would face death by lightning bolt. Of course, I no longer have that vision. I now see God as a loving creator who sent a part of himself to suffer and die on the cross so that we can have life.

If you’re still confused on the distinction, here’s a brief description of each. One kind is an emotional response to a real or implied threat. This fear may not paralyze you, but it can stop you from accomplishing something. You could have a fear of going outside because you think pollution will kill you.

The second type is a fear induced by something or someone. This is where you get your phobias. Mine was always spiders. This type of fear will have a paralyzing effect on you if you allow it to persist.

Both of these are negative fears that can rip our emotional core to shreds. The good news is they can be pulled out of, by research, and facing them. That is what I did to get over my fear of spiders. I turned it into a research project, and I took close-up photos of them. Over time, I started respecting them and appreciating what they do for the world.

The last type of fear means awe, reverence, and veneration. This type of fear always has a positive outcome. Because of this fear, you are motivated to learn everything you can about God, and understand what he wants for your life. You are never paralyzed, and your self-esteem is strengthened.

The more you learn about God, the more you realize that he will always be with you, and you don’t have to cower before him. God wants you to revere him, and love him. He doesn’t want you dread him, or live in terror.

The way I learned to see it; reverence leads to learning (instruction); learning leads to knowledge; knowledge leads to discipline; and discipline leads to wisdom; and wisdom leads to God.

Foolish people always hate discipline. They feel like education is a joke, and that people who try to teach them are intruding on their good time. They always think about the short term. Live in the moment, never plan for the future, education does nothing for them.

The worst part of this philosophy is that they will search for meaning in their lives, but they’ll never find it. Their entire life becomes a seduction to emptiness. Their lives seem exciting, and full of intrigue, but that kind of life will eventually fade, and they will be left with nothing to show for it.

If you want to avoid a meaningless life, arm yourself with wisdom, discipline, and knowledge. This way leads to God, and a real life.

Challenge: Start a discipleship journal. It will help you keep track of what you learn, and your spiritual growth.

Enjoy,
Allen

Our one, true freedom

Proverbs 4:13
Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life.

When I was younger, I was told by a good friend that when reading the Bible that I should start with Proverbs. As a whole, the entire Bible is important. Every verse serves a purpose, but Proverbs provides you with a basis for learning and wisdom that can carry your learning of the Bible to a higher level.

I am reminded of the analogy of building a home. I know, it’s a little cliché, but it is still true. In order to build a home that will withstand the elements, you first have to build a strong foundation. If you start from the roof, the home will collapse in the first wind.

The book of Proverbs, as a collection, is a perfect foundation for knowledge and wisdom, on which to build your understanding of the Bible.

Another thing my friend said was Proverbs 4:13 is a great place to start. You can always go back to the beginning, but this verse gives you a purpose for knowledge, and therefore motivates you to keep learning.

A wise man once said, “Knowledge is power.” How right he was. With knowledge, ordinary men have become rulers. They have shot through technological barriers to create new technology. Knowledge has given us medical breakthroughs, without which people are defenseless against physical threats.

Without knowledge, we would not exist. It’s no wonder Solomon added this in the proverbs. We must hold on to instruction because instruction leads to knowledge, and knowledge is power. Therefore, we mustn’t let go of it. Instruction can come from anywhere, even from life itself. Try to learn something from everything around you. Learning is just a matter of paying attention to the details.

I hear a lot of people panicking because the government is “Taking away our freedoms.” The government has been doing that for nearly one hundred years. This is something we, as individuals, have no control over. It’s not wise to worry about things you have no control over. The thing we do have control over is what we learn, and how we use it. This is why it is important to guard our knowledge. It’s one thing no one can take away from you, even if they take all your freedom and put you in prison for your beliefs, you will still have your knowledge.

In the story of Job, God allowed Satan to take everything from Job, money, family, health, but he was not allowed to take his faith and knowledge. This left Job to make the observation, “The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away.” God gave Job the freedom of knowledge and how to use it, and this is the only true freedom we have today. So hold on to it, guard it, don’t let anyone else take it from you, for if you lose this, you lose your freedom completely.

Challenge: Write this verse down and put it where you will always see it, and use it to motivate you to learn.

Enjoy,
Allen

The quality of life

2 Peter 1:5-11

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith, goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to your knowledge, self control; and to self control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.
Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure, for if you do these things you will never fall, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our lord and savior Jesus Christ.

Living the Christian life is not always easy. Sure, when things are going great, and life is wonderful, it may seem easy, but our everyday lives are filled with schedules, deadlines, bills, stressful jobs, and families to take care of. This chaos can be both stressful, as well as distracting, it is no wonder that some people stray a little.

2 Peter 1:5-11 talks about the qualities that make up the Christian life; Faith, goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love. These qualities are not actions, or things that you DO, they are lifestyle choices that we need in order to live productive and effective lives for Christ.

Many people try to compartmentalize each quality, and prioritize them, but we can’t. Each one is just as important as the other, and if we are missing even one quality, we will become blind to it. If it continues, it won’t be long before we lose sight of the other qualities.

By following these qualities, you will stand strong in the knowledge of Christ and the sacrifice he made to cleanse us from our sins. We will also make ourselves open to hear what God has called each of us for. If we strive to nurture and cultivate these qualities in our lives, we will never fall, and Christ will welcome us into his kingdom with open arms. If we keep these qualities in our heart, we will still have the sources of chaos, but they will no longer be a cause of stress or distraction.

Challenge: Keep these qualities close to your heart, and share them often.

Enjoy,
Allen