Healthy Fear

Daily Gratitude Year 5-Day 297: Today, I am grateful for a fear that leads to wisdom.

Halloween is less than a week away. The media is full of horror movies and costumes that evoke fear and trembling. There is something in our human nature... for some more than others... that craves living on the cliff between fear and freedom from fear. 

We learn... or we don't... from an early age that we must face many of our fears to free ourselves. There are times we take a stand and discover that what we feared was not even as frightening as we made it up to be in our heads. 

Proverbs 9:10 holds a powerful truth:

Fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment.

Fear can be partially defined as a healthy respect and understanding of the way things work that leads to caution and better choices. We all need a little fear to keep us safe and healthy. 

The fear of the Lord... a healthy respect for his awesome power, knowledge of his laws, and submission to his sovereign ways... it is the beginning of true wisdom. Knowledge of Him and his ways leads to a clearer vision and insight. 

I am reminded of my student who played Ursula in The Little Mermaid trying to help me understand ... though I know Ursula is bad... I can't help but find something in her that evokes compassion for her wicked ways. She is a villain, yet she evokes a bit of empathy from me. She is jealous and lonely, by her own doing. She only wants things her way. Here is the wisdom from a 13 year old. "She doesn't mean to be bad. She just wants what she wants." Ursula challenged the King... and in the end... it would be her demise. 

Frankly, I get Ursula. Sometimes, I want what I want. But then,  I am reminded that I am not the Queen of the Universe... not even close. But my Heavenly Father is the creator of the Universe and holds it all in place by the power of his mighty hand. 

We don't have to be afraid. We don't have to have all the answers. He does. Better yet, we can trust him with the desires of our hearts... and everything else. Learning to fear him is tightly woven into learning to trust him and love him. He never fails. Not ever. He does things in his time... but the end result is always good. 

Occasionally, we face days that feel like scary snapshots in a picture. We can face our fears and know that He is with us, for us and his hand is on the moment and the big picture. 

Today, I am grateful for a fear that leads to wisdom.