Saturday, May 28, 2016

Saturday, May 28, 2016

"Through love and faithfulness sin is atoned for; through the fear of the Lord evil is avoided." (Proverbs 16:6)

As a teenager I always felt like I could get over on my mother.  She was a widow - a single mom trying to make it the best that she could - and raising two boys.  In my mind I often thought, "How hard can this be?"  She was so preoccupied with all of the difficulties of paying stacks of bills and trying to keep her sanity that I figured I would slip under her radar.  However, I didn't realize that she had a secret weapon.  One evening, after showering, getting dressed and dousing myself with cologne for the night, I was rushing down the stairs of our house when I noticed something shocking.  Mom was in her bedroom on her knees praying and crying.  In between the sniffles I heard her call out my name to God and ask Him to watch over me.  Even though I was doing my best to get in all of the trouble that I thought I was old enough to get into this scene shook me.  I knew who Jesus was.  I believed in Him and there were times that I prayed.  But seeing my mother put all of her trust in Him put a reverence and a respect in my heart for God that had never been there before.  

Though I still went out with my friends and "did my dirt" there were lines that I just would not cross, places I refused to go, and certain people that I would never entertain.  I accumulated stories where I left clubs before the guns started blazing; left house parties before the police came.  Many dangers were avoided because of the fear of the Lord that my mother exhibited in prayer - a reverent fear that also impacted the choices I made.  

After I graduated from college I looked back over my life and recounted the times when the Lord had delivered me.  A different reverence came over me.  Instead of just living off of "the fear of the Lord" that my mom had demonstrated through her relentless prayers for me I hungered for a personal revelation of the fear of the Lord.  I wanted to know Him and love Him like she did.

Having an attitude-changing respect (or fear) for the Lord helps us to personally avoid dangers in this life.  However, we need to be reminded that (like my mom's life) our lives are a witness to others.  The fear of the Lord that people see demonstrated in our lives has power to impact them, bring them into relationship with Jesus, and cause them to avoid the great "evil" of an eternity apart from the loving presence God.  I am a living witness.