Are You Afraid? Grow in God’s Wisdom
Photo by Tim Wildsmith
The world is filled with fear right now, but because you are God’s child, you get to be wise instead.
Do you want to let go of fear and anxiety? Do you want to know what to do in your dating life and when to do it—how to move forward, how to communicate well, how to put your significant other first?
According to Scripture, the answer is pretty simple.
Wisdom Begins with Desire for God
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. (Prov. 9:10 NIV)
“The fear of the Lord” is a beautiful phrase that a lot of people don’t understand. It doesn’t mean living in terror of God, nor does it mean being afraid of making mistakes. The fear of the Lord is actually a statement of desire. “I long for the Lord. I desire You. Your words and thoughts matter to me. I deeply honor and respect You.”
That is where wisdom begins.
The Bible talks about approaching God with confidence. We get to go right up to His throne and ask Him for help (Heb. 4:16). That’s not a description of fear and timidity. He doesn’t want us to live far away from Him because we’re afraid—He wants our love.
“You’re My child and I love you, and I want to be with you in everything. Every day.” That’s what He’s saying to you, and He’s saying it to you about your dating relationship and every other aspect of your life.
If You’re Hesitant, You Can Practice Desire for God
There is nothing greater than the desire to know our almighty and loving God. If we want Him, we can have Him and the same is true with His wisdom. If we don’t have it, we can ask for it and He will gladly give it to us.
If anyone longs to be wise, ask God for wisdom and he will give it! He won’t see your lack of wisdom as an opportunity to scold you over your failures but he will overwhelm your failures with his generous grace. (Jas. 1:5 TPT)
That passage is true for you! That kind of wisdom—full of kindness and grace—is waiting for you today, and it begins with choosing the Lord and valuing Him.
If you feel exhausted and like you don’t have much desire for God—maybe because of fear or stress or passivity—you can practice desire for Him. He knows what life in the world is like; Jesus lived here and He endured what we endure. He knows we need practice sometimes.
Whenever we need to, we can pray a prayer like this one:
“Jesus, I want You. I feel like my life is a mess right now, and my heart doesn’t feel very soft toward You, but this is still true: I want the Lord. You are my desire, and I want to do what You say. Would You draw close to me and help me?”
Desire for God Results in Clear Vision
When we want God and value Him, we have access to real wisdom, which helps us see clearly in a world full of blindness (2 Cor. 4:4).
Wisdom helps us realize how small we are in comparison to the Holy One—smaller than the smallest piece of a cell—yet He made us big in His eyes. Wisdom is knowing that we are truly nothing without Him, that we genuinely need Him and He is our greatest love.
By honoring God, asking Him questions, getting Him involved in our lives and relationships, and letting Him know how much we want Him and value Him—the stage is set for us to see through the eyes of His wisdom. The wisdom of God gives us the power to say “no” to fear and to stand strong when the rest of the world is shaking.
Instead of Fear, Joy
You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. (Jer. 29:13 NIV)
If you want wisdom, get to know God better.
This month, we’re encouraging our staff and followers to grow in wisdom. Please join us as we read the book of Proverbs during the thirty-one days of January and listen to the Holy Spirit. What is He showing us? How can we apply it to this year, and what does it mean in our relationships with Him and other people?
We live in interesting times—but we get to laugh the way He laughs and not be afraid (see Ps. 2:2–4). As we value Him, listen to His voice, and get to know Him and His Word thoroughly, we are able to shine His wisdom into dark places. Fear isn’t for us. Because of Jesus, we get the joy of wisdom instead.
Your heavenly Father loves you more than you realize. Other articles from Salomé Roat and Becoming the One:
For more information on sex, marriage, and finding the person who is right for you, get a copy of Becoming the One by Salomé Roat. Click here to learn more. The book is also available in Spanish.