I Am (Apparently) Not the Boss

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction. Proverbs 1:7

I must admit that sometimes, I don’t like what I read in the Bible. There are things I don’t understand and there are rules I dislike. If I were in charge, I would do it differently. Then, there are times when I theoretically accept the rules, but in my wisdom, I simply do my own thing. My way is better for me.

It doesn’t take much honesty to see where my best wisdom has taken me. I’ve followed my own rules, leading to addiction and disaster. In my recovery though, I am perhaps even more tempted to find myself wise. I stopped using drugs. I’ve got life figured out. I know it all.

It may not lead back to drug addiction, but this me-centered thinking is at least as deadly as drug addiction as it turns me from God, back towards myself. Pride is lethal to my faith.

This seems to be the message that King Solomon began Proverbs with in today’s passage. If we want to know wisdom and if we desire to abandon foolishness, then we must begin with God. He is the creator and we are the created. To understand the world, life and ourselves, we must grasp our proper position before him. He is in charge. He makes the rules. We are not the boss and we do not govern God.

Fear of the Lord, may at times be real fear – when we are deliberately rebellious – but fearing God means that we humbly assume our role as followers. The problem, is that we don’t like to follow. We like to be in charge. We don’t like to submit to rules or doctrine with which we do not agree.

If God is God though, then we must understand that he is not obligated to satisfy our reasoning. We do not dictate terms to him. He is God. If we desire to know wisdom and life, and if we desire to avoid foolishness and destruction, then we must always begin with God.