FORMED BY CHRIST
Kendra Intihar
Today’s Scripture: “The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate.” Proverbs 8:13, ESV
Theme: Evidence of fear of the Lord is an aversion to evil.
EXPECTATIONS
My Papaw Bill was a great philosopher. It wasn’t his vocation, and he didn’t write any books. Generations hence will not know about him except through the tales his grandkids tell, but he was a reader and a thinker, and he helped me to ponder life more deeply. Papaw Bill used to say to me, “Children will work hard to become exactly who you think they are.” And he was right.
I can recall seeing this play out in classrooms growing up. A child who teachers believed to be a nuisance and a troublemaker would do their best to live up to that expectation. My science teacher in the 7th grade inexplicably thought I was a brilliant science student and bragged on me to other science teachers every chance he got. That year, I loved science, and I proved him right. (Thankfully, my 8th grade teacher thought I was just average, so I could have a break from being brilliant at science for a while. “Average” is exactly what I became in the 8th grade).
UNFATHOMABLE GOD
In Proverbs 8, Lady Wisdom speaks to us through the poetry of King Solomon, saying, “To fear the LORD is to hate evil…” (Proverbs 8:13a, NIV). When I was growing up, like many people, I thought that “fearing the Lord” meant being terrified of God. I could not reconcile being terrified of God with the thought that “perfect love casts out fear” (1 John 4:18) and the many times the Bible tells us “Do not be afraid!” including, “Fear not, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.” (Isaiah 41:10).
I stopped struggling with this when I realized that when Solomon wrote to his Hebrew audience, they would have heard the word “fear” as something so much more robust and complex than our little English word can encompass. They would have heard it as something like fear, but with broad elements of reverence, respect, and awe. The closest I’ve ever come to understanding “fear of the Lord” is standing in front of the ocean. It’s terrifying. It’s also beautiful, and powerful, and worthy of respect. Fear of the Lord helps us to make our loving God appropriately unfathomable and worthy of worship.
INFLUENCES
When we are in Christ, the Bible tells us that we are a New Creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). Our former selves, which could only withstand evil in our own strength, have passed away, and now our new selves are here. Christians, our new selves belong to Jesus. It will be obvious to others when we are walking with Christ – in true fear of the Lord - because our lives will align with Him. We will be averse to evil, arrogance, and other corruptive influences, because Christ in us is averse to them. Just like children who are subconsciously formed by the expectations of those who have influence over their life, so we are formed by the Holy Spirit within us -- but only if we allow Him to influence our lives, and only if we respect Him enough to let our lives be His instruments.
Make It Personal: God’s singular disposition towards us is love. Enduring, unconditional, eternal love. When we draw close to Him, we are necessarily drawing further and further away from our sinful nature and from evil, because there is no evil in Him. Are you being formed by fear of the Lord, or are you allowing your old self - your old habits and harmful behaviors - to continue to form you? In this moment, as you pray, ask God to show you the areas of your life where you may be falling back on your old self, and be reminded that the old has passed away and the new has come. In Him, you are a New Creation!
Pray: Lord, it is so easy for me to profess that I am a Christian, but it is sometimes difficult for me to live my life as though I am being formed by my relationship with You. Please call to my mind the ways in which I am leaning on my own wisdom and understanding. Today, I relinquish my feeble attempts to stand in my own strength, and I ask you to be my strength, instead. Let my words and actions be the evidence of Your work in my life. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Read: Deuteronomy 10:14-22; Job 26:14; Galatians 5:22-23
Weekly Memory Verse: “Sin whispers to the wicked, deep within their hearts. They have no fear of God to restrain them.” Psalm 36:1, NLT