When you hear the
word freedom, what are the images that come to mind? Many of us likely begin by
thinking of freedom as a hopeful escape from something. Freedom from worry,
bills, or the traffic light at Main Street and Wallace (here in Listowel) that seems to stay red
much too long!
There are also amazing
stories of freedom in the Bible: Israel being freed from slavery in Egypt
(Exodus); Daniel in the lion’s den (Dan. 6); both Peter and Paul miraculously
freed from prison (Acts 12, 16). My hope is that we also experience our
discipleship journey with Christ as offering a release from those things that
would seek to bind us.
I wonder if the images
change for you if we think of freedom as beginning with “the fear of the Lord”.
We often describe “fear” as an unpleasant emotion that might be caused by the
belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or appears
as a threat. We definitely do not think of freedom and fear as synonymous with
one another. However, the writer of Proverbs describes “the fear of the Lord”
as “the beginning of knowledge” (1:7); “the beginning of wisdom” (9:10);
prolonging life (10:27); and the fountain of life (14:27)…the list goes on. These
texts are not about being afraid of God but rather an invitation to know the
awesome power of God and to understand who we are in the face of God. It is wisdom
that invites us to experience freedom by placing God at the centre of our
personal universe.
If you are up for
a challenge, read through the book of Proverbs and note the instances where you
find the phrase “fear of the Lord”. But don’t stop there. Look for references
to wisdom at the same time. Do the definitions change when you bring these
themes of freedom, wisdom and the fear of the Lord together?
A 16th
century Anabaptist hymn which reflects on wisdom in the context of persecution
– a place that would feel extremely distant from freedom – offers this profound
understanding of wisdom and the fear of the Lord in all of life…
If
you would have wisdom in your heart, / hold it high in honor / since it is a
noble possession indeed. / It gives birth to life. Wisdom is a bright light / through
which divinity can be perceived. / It teaches how to recognize his glory. / Wisdom
is simply the Holy Spirit, / the pure and clean power of God. / Do not let the
gift be taken from you.
(Published in the Listowel Banner - May 13, 2015)
I've been reading a book from the church library called "Anything - the prayer that unlocked my God and my Soul" by Jennie Allen. It explores exactly what you are talking about when you ask "have you given God the throne of your heart". If taken seriously (which I thought I did until I read this book) it's a scary question. I think people think they have done that but I don't think we really have because if we have I think life would be totally different.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing these thoughts Linda. I agree that entering into a "fear of the Lord" in the way that Proverbs invites can challenge us in significant ways. What I find interesting is that there seem to be an assumption among many that giving God the throne of your heart is too tough. I think the picture the Bible paints is quite the opposite - giving God authority to rule in your heart, soul, mind...all of life can be and is incredibly freeing.
Delete