Walking in the Fear of the Lord is Harder for Some
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding Proverbs 9:10.
This passage is taken from chapter nine of proverbs. To read the whole chapter and get context, click here. What does it actually mean to fear God? According to Strong’s Hebrew Lexicon, the word simply means reverence or piety.
It’s Harder for Some to be Wise
Some people have a much harder time walking in the fear of the Lord than others. But the harder it is, the greater the wisdom you will attain if you do. Obedience leads to maturity, the narrow path to life and the fear of God to wisdom.
But some people, because of their natural temperament or being sinned against and hurt (sin begets sin) or because of painful, difficult trials, have a harder time. It’s harder for them to obey, tread the narrow path and fear God than others.
And this can be discouraging. But what we need to remember is that to the degree it’s harder for us, to that degree will we attain greater degrees of maturity, wisdom and life for our efforts.
Temperament Affects Ability to Obey
Let’s take temperament for example. People who by nature are feelers are going to have a harder time obeying God. Their natural tendency is to be led and guided by their emotions. They will have a proclivity to not obey God unless they feel like it. And this won’t be all the time. They are also sensitive and easily hurt. This requires greater effort on their part to walk in forgiveness and love.
Some people by force of temperament are impulsive and compulsive. They enjoy the freedom of being led by sudden urges. This trait can often be at odds with fearing God and obedience. It will be harder for this person to obey because it will often require saying no to those impulses that drive them.
These are just a few examples. There are many more.
If the Feeler and the Impulsive One do choose to fear God and obey despite great effort and sacrifice to do it, they will be more blessed. They will be blessed with greater degrees of maturity and wisdom and life than someone who is naturally a thinker as opposed to a feeler. Or controlled and cautious as opposed to impulsive.
Hurting People Hurt People
Someone who’s been sinned against and hurt a lot will also have a hard time obeying and fearing God. Sin begets sin. Sin hurts people. That’s why God hates it and why there’s a hell. Hurt people hurt people.
The sin that someone else committed against them hurt them. This hurt often causes them to lash out and hurt someone else. (To hurt someone is to sin against them and to sin against them is to hurt them). So, it will be much harder for this person to obey and fear God and walk in love.
But if they do the maturity and wisdom and life, they attain will be greater than for someone who has not been so wounded by sin.
The same goes for those experiencing difficult trials. God is just. If it’s harder for you to do what’s necessary to attain your reward, your reward will be greater if you do it. If it’s harder for you to do what’s right, your blessing for doing so will be greater to just that degree it was harder.
You can’t outgive God, as they say. And that doesn’t only apply to finances. He will compensate and recompense you for every ounce of effort and pain and sacrifice your obedience requires. For a similar blog post to Walking in the Fear of the Lord is Harder for Some, click here: How to Be Blessed Like Job .
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