To understand the current atmosphere of unbelief, Owen Anderson, professor of philosophy and religious studies at Arizona State University, gives us a bit of insight followed with some biblical wisdom:
On the first day of my Philosophy 101 class, I ask my students this question: “Does life make sense?” A few awkward moments pass. One hand goes up and then another. “No, life doesn’t make sense,” many students tell me. It seems arbitrary and full of pain and suffering.
How does this make them feel? I ask. They tell me it causes them anxiety and even depression. What do they plan to do about it? I inquire. They have no answer. And this, of course, only adds to their anxiety.
Fortunately, there is an answer. It’s called wisdom. Not exactly a fashionable concept these days but given how much mental illness is reported on campus, it’s primed for a comeback.
The Oxford Dictionary defines wisdom this way: the “capacity of judging rightly in matters relating to life and conduct; soundness of judgment…” That’s something we all desire. Life is complex. Difficult questions and choices confront us all the time. Wisdom helps us to deal with them. By the way, the word philosophy means “the love of wisdom.”
So, where should we start our wisdom journey? How about with the most significant and influential book in human history, one for which there is no close second—the Bible. Not surprisingly, it has a lot of thoughts on the subject. Proverbs 9:10 takes us right to the heart of the matter. “The fear of God,” the proverb tells us, “is the beginning of wisdom.”
Fear is universal. Everyone fears something. Indiana Jones fears snakes, Ron Weasley fears spiders, most people fear public speaking. Sometimes our fears are abstract. We fear losing what we love—a good job, losing a friend or family member. People fear getting sick, being dependent on others and ultimately, they fear death. But if wisdom is your concern—and the Bible thinks it should be—then fear of God is fear number one. Why?
First, to fear God is a recognition that you are not God. Life suddenly has order. A clear hierarchy is established. God. Then Man… then animals. If we take God out of the equation and place ourselves at the top of the pyramid, then we make the rules. We only answer to ourselves. The whole notion of an objective standard of right and wrong goes out the proverbial window. Morality becomes a matter of opinion.
Since human beings can rationalize any behavior to suit their purposes, the result is moral confusion, even chaos. When we fear God (He did create the universe, after all) we take our rightful place in the hierarchy. We’re up there, but we’re not in first position. To acknowledge this is an act of humility. It’s much easier to acquire wisdom when you don’t think you already “know it all.” As it says in another verse in Proverbs [3:7], “Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil.”
Second, fearing God will very likely make you a better person. Fear God and you’re much less likely to do something you shouldn’t. There are academic studies to back this up. By definition that will help you to make smarter decisions. That’s some serious wisdom right there.
And third, if you fear God, you will fear others less. Doing what is right becomes easier even if the consequences are not to your immediate advantage because you know you must answer first to God, not people. This will give you courage as well as wisdom.
The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. It’s not the middle or the end. But you have to start somewhere. And that somewhere, the Bible emphatically states, is accepting the basic structure of the universe and your place in it. If you can’t do that you will be lost. The peace and tranquility that you seek—that we all seek—will elude your grasp.
If, however, you’re looking to make sense of what appears to you now to be a senseless world, Proverbs 9:10 is well worth contemplating.*
As I often put it, to fear God means to be captivated by the perfections of God (His perfect goodness, love, justice…) and be accountable to Him. Put more concisely, the fear of God is to live for the opinion of One.
There is an open door for the gospel of grace. Because of the reconciling work of Jesus, we do not need to live in fear – to do right to avoid God’s punishment. Having surrendered ourselves to Him in faith, we live in the grip of His grace. We can rest in His acceptance and live in the outflow of that loving communion to please Him.
This should be welcome news to a generation anxiously plodding through a life that seems arbitrary full of pain and suffering.
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* Adapted from the transcript at https://www.prageru.com/video/the-beginning-of-wisdom?utm_source=Iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=campaign_9000102 Accessed on February 12, 2024
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