Every Building Needs a Good Foundation
There is almost nothing more unsettling to a homeowner than hearing that the foundation of their house is beginning to crumble. It is one thing to replace a leaky roof or to remodel that old 1980’s style bathroom, but dealing with a faulty foundation is an entirely different level of problem solving. That is because almost everything else associated with a house is somehow connected to the foundation of the home. Homes all over the country need serious repair and sometimes even need to be torn down because a contractor did not place the foundation properly or because the foundation constructed was not able to endure the test of time.
People are much different than houses but there is a metaphor hidden in the construction of your home. Every man and woman needs to have a solid foundation to build their life on. If we want to be wise, if we want to be discerning, and if we want to live godly lives it must start somewhere. The world offers wisdom on every street corner but the wisdom the world provides is similar to a beautiful new construction home that has been built on a crumbling foundation. The new home looks like it could be on the cover of a magazine, but the future of the home is destined for countless problems because of what lies beneath the surface.
The Fear of the Lord is the Beginning of Wisdom
If you want to be a wise man or woman, if you want to make decisions in life that lead to blessing rather than destruction, and if you want to be a godly example to those around you, the book of Proverbs tells you right where to start. Put simply, true wisdom begins when you begin to fear the Lord.
Proverbs 9:10 — 10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
This is a helpful statement in part because it is a rather short explanation. The book of Proverbs is 31 chapters long and contains many verses about morality, relationships, marriage, parenting, working, business, and many more subjects. All these areas of life boil down to this summary phrase in Proverbs 9:10. If wisdom were a house will all sorts of structures and features, the fear of the Lord would be the foundation.
Fearing the Lord is something that can be easily misunderstood but it is rather simple. Fearing God means someone has a reverent attitude toward Him. The person has a certain awe and wonder about who God is. The individual that fears God is the one that wants to worship Him which means that fearing the Lord also implies someone has a submissive attitude toward Him. When God commands something, they want to obey His command and when God prohibits something, they choose to steer clear of what God has prohibited.
It is no wonder that we should show reverence, awe, and obedience toward God because the verse goes on to explain that God is the Holy One. God’s holiness is referring to the truth that God is separate, distinct, and is above everything and everyone else. No one is as pure as God, no one else is as good as God, and no one else is as just as God. Wisdom begins when someone chooses to follow God recognizing that their way of life is not the right way, but it is the Holy Creator’s way that is the proper way to live life.
God Owns All Wisdom
It makes sense that fearing God is the beginning of wisdom because God is the source of all wisdom. Again, the world tries to sell wisdom in the marketplace every day but God has a monopoly on genuine wisdom. Just look at these few passages that indicate that all wisdom belongs to God.
James 1:5 — 5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
1 Kings 4:29–34 — 29 Now God gave Solomon wisdom and very great discernment and breadth of mind, like the sand that is on the seashore. 30 Solomon’s wisdom surpassed the wisdom of all the sons of the east and all the wisdom of Egypt. 31 For he was wiser than all men, than Ethan the Ezrahite, Heman, Calcol and Darda, the sons of Mahol; and his fame was known in all the surrounding nations. 32 He also spoke 3,000 proverbs, and his songs were 1,005. 33 He spoke of trees, from the cedar that is in Lebanon even to the hyssop that grows on the wall; he spoke also of animals and birds and creeping things and fish. 34 Men came from all peoples to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all the kings of the earth who had heard of his wisdom.
Proverbs 2:6— 6 For the LORD gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding.
For anyone who wants to grow in learning, for anyone who desires to mature, and for anyone who wants to be considered wise, look nowhere else than to God Himself. He provides the foundation and all the building material necessary for constructing a life of wisdom. Christians have the privilege of having access to this wisdom because Christians have access to God. Wisdom is granted only to those who fear Him.
A Few Thoughts on this Father’s Day
Father’s Day is a great opportunity each year for fathers to evaluate the place of wisdom in their life. Fathers need to grow in wisdom themselves, but God has also entrusted fathers with sons and daughters they can influence and shepherd down a path of wisdom. Here are a few different ways a father can apply this passage on this Father’s Day.
- If you are not a Christian, begin your journey of growing in wisdom by choosing to follow Christ. The only way you will be able to shepherd your children to grow in wisdom is by choosing to fear the Lord first. Wisdom begins by trusting in Jesus alone for your salvation and by turning from your sin. He freely offers salvation to all and how sweet would it be for you to receive a heavenly Father this Father’s Day? If you trust in Christ this Father’s Day, there will be rejoicing in God’s house beyond what you can even imagine!
- If you are a believer, consider ways to help your children understand that wisdom begins with fearing the Lord. There are many lessons children will need to be taught repeatedly but there is no greater lesson than the Gospel of Jesus Christ. If your child is an unbeliever, their pursuit of wisdom will begin when they receive Christ. But even if your children are Christians, find ways to creatively point them back to the foundation of all the teaching they are receiving. Understanding their foundation will help them pursue living righteously and will help them mature in wisdom.
We hope you all have a great Father’s Day this year. Spend time with your family, enjoy the fellowship of those around you, and remember that fearing the Lord is the foundation of all wisdom.
