“Why do we fear God?” asked Madeline a few years ago. She was a very creative, intelligent, lovely 12-year-old in the pre-teen class I taught at church on Sunday mornings.

I answered her with Proverbs 9:10 (NIV): “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”

Madeline and most of my kids had been raised to fear the LORD, and, as I further explained, “to fear God” means “to respect and honor and obey God.”

But I knew there was more, much more, to this. After all, if a child who’d been raised by believing, church-attending, Bible-reading, stable parents had this question, then how much more would a child or adult who was not raised as a Christian wonder why one should fear God?

How much bigger of a question mark would a person have who had been raised to follow God, but never really understood the “why” of it—other than, “This is what we do.”

It reminds me of the “Because I say so” reply that so many of us have given, when we don’t know the answer and don’t care to find out.

Hosea 4:6 says, “My people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge.” To me, doing something for God without understanding the reason for it is called religion.

People don’t need religion. They need a living, thriving, dynamic relationship with their Father God Who is Love.

True, we parents are to train our children in God’s ways by example and repetition and lead them to develop their own relationship with Christ as their Savior. Even after the born-again experience, every child—whether 5 or 55--grows up and, like Madeline, will eventually want to know the “why” of things. If that “why” is not satisfied, rebellion against God is very likely.

Just look at the state of the Church! Religion is choking many true Christians in this nation, and it’s the job of those of us who have the full truth to tell them.

So I took this holy assignment, and started exploring the Word. Wisdom, which is the goal of fearing the LORD, is mentioned over 200 times, and Proverbs 8 focuses on it. Below, I’ve listed several verses and several reasons—categories, really—of why we should fear the LORD and walk in wisdom:

One reason to fear the LORD is to have knowledge and discretion—to have the confidence of knowing why we do what we do, and how to conduct ourselves in relationships and events of this life:

10 Choose my instruction instead of silver, knowledge rather than choice gold, 11 for wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire can compare with her. 12 “I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence; I possess knowledge and discretion. (Prov. 8:10-12)

A second reason to fear the LORD is to hate (and thus avoid) evil, which is the opposite of our good God, and to hate pride and arrogance, which are what caused the enemy to fall—and which are the root of choices we’ve probably all made that caused us and our loved ones pain and regret. This includes the misuse of our words.

13 To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech. (Prov. 8:13)

A third reason to fear the LORD is to have insight, or understanding. Then when we have insight, we are empowered to make right choices. When we make right choices, the people over whom we have authority (including ourselves) are protected, blessed, and taught righteousness.

14 Counsel and sound judgment are mine; I have insight, I have power. 15 By me kings reign and rulers issue decrees that are just; 16 by me princes govern, and nobles—all who rule on earth. -- Prov. 8:14-16

There are many more reasons, but even if you just took one of these verses and meditated (think about it over and over) on it every day for a month, it would increase your reverence and love for the LORD--and thus improve your life!

Tonja and her husband live to exalt God. They lift Him up in books (P.O.W.E.R. Girl!; LEGACY; Visions of the King; Your Holy Health; more); presentations; service in church, community, and the world; and via the "River Rain Creative" (309 videos) and "POWERLight Learning" You Tube channels.