Fear Him

*Text: Prov. 3: 7*

“Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and depart from evil.”

Our text this morning seems to be saying that when we are wise in our own eyes we are working the path of evil. Now how can that be? How can being wise in our own eyes translate to evil? Well, it is pride that leads us down the path of being wise in our own eyes. When we are wise in our own eyes, we will reject the superior ideas and suggestions of others and choose to do things our way. When we are wise in our own eyes we will query God’s instruction and ultimately jettison them in favor of our own ideas. This will take us down the path of disobedience and rebellion to God and this of course is evil.

To emphasize the importance of this subject, this counsel is repeated over and over again in several places in the scriptures. Let us consider a few:

“Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.” (Prov. 26: 12)

“Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes. And clever in their own sight!” (Isa. 5: 21)

“Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation” (Rom. 12: 16)

To say that someone is wise in his own eyes is another way of saying that the person is proud and the bible is against the proud. The bible says that God resist the proud, but gives grace to the humble (James 4: 6). In his book, “Winning with people”. John Maxwell talks about different kind of learning attitudes. He says that there are basically three types of attitudes: Arrogant, Naïve and Teachable. The arrogant people think that they don’t need to learn anything from anyone. They are a typically example of people who are wise in their own eyes. The naïve people believe that only one person can teach them everything, while the teachable people learn from everyone and everything that is around them. He concludes that the people who make an impact on others around them are the ones who are teachable.

The bible warns that “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall” (Prov. 16: 18). When a person begins to believe that he knows everything there is to know, he has taken the path of self-destruction. This attitude is dangerous as it produces damaging results. First it blinds us from all truth, secondly we are blind to new revelations or further knowledge and this stunts our overall personal growth. Pride keeps us in the same place we are in and we don’t grow to newer heights. The worst of it all is those who are wise in their own eyes lack the fear of the Lord and this makes them a direct enemy of God, and that is a really dangerous place to be!

The fear of the Lord is a necessity for anyone who seeks to break away from this dangerous path and develop a teachable spirit. The fear of the Lord will not only help to us to develop a teachable spirit, it will also help us to remain teachable for life. The fear of the Lord firmly takes us away from the path of evil where pride has placed us and helps us to walk along the path of peace, joy and progress.

Do you lack the fear of the Lord? You do if you there is evidence that you esteem yourself to be wise in your own eyes or if there is evidence of pride in your life. The good news is that the fear of the Lord can be taught and so we can learn to fear God. “Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord” (Psa. 34: 11). The fear of the Lord comes by knowledge, the knowledge of God. Who He is and what are His attributes and this knowledge can be accessed in the scriptures. The more time we spent reading, studying and meditating on God’s word, the more knowledgeable we become regarding the person of God and His ways. And then the more we learn to fear Him.

The fear of the Lord in your life will steer you away from the path of evil and firmly position you on the path of multi-dimensional growth, which of course will translate to prosperity and wellness in all areas of life - spiritual, physical, emotional and so on. My prayer for you today is that God will grant you grace to fear Him all the days of your life in Jesus name. Shalom