God is God. I'm not.

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge.” — Proverbs 1:7

We live in a world full of information. We can Google almost anything, or ask ChatGPT for advice and find an answer to just about every question.

And yet, knowing a lot doesn’t necessarily make us wise.

Knowledge tells us what we know. Wisdom teaches us how to live with what we know.

That’s why Proverbs puts the fear of the Lord at the beginning.

Let’s start at the beginning:

God is God, and I’m not.

I don’t know everything. I don’t understand every situation. And I definitely don’t have to control every outcome—although I’ll admit, I’d really like to!

God sees what I can’t see. He knows what I don’t know. He understands the whole book when I’m usually working with one or two confusing chapters.

The fear of the Lord isn’t about being terrified of God. It’s about awe, respect, humility, obedience, and trust.

It’s saying, “Lord, You know better than I do. Teach me.”

When someone hurts us, wisdom asks, “How does God want me to respond?”

When we’re angry, it reminds us that being right doesn’t give us permission to be unkind.

When we’re afraid, it reminds us that God is still God—even when we don’t understand what He’s doing.

And when we’re tempted to control someone else’s choices, wisdom reminds us that God never asked us to be someone else’s Holy Spirit.

Sometimes wisdom means…

speaking,

waiting,

forgiving,

or setting a boundary.

But wisdom always begins with asking:

“God, what do You want me to do here?”

A Simple Prayer:

Lord, remind me today that You are God and I am not. Help me trust You when I don’t understand, surrender what I can’t control, and seek Your wisdom instead of insisting on my own way. Teach me to live with kindness, humility, courage, and grace. And when I think I know what is best, remind me to say, “Lord, teach me.”

In Jesus’ name, Amen

Remember This:

Wisdom doesn’t begin when I have all the answers. Fearing God is the beginning.