The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!

Psalm‬ ‭111‬:‭10

Humility is thinking of myself less. It can feel like a thin line between this healthy posture and the potentially destructive one where we just beat ourselves up.

We were not created to feel bad about ourselves, but rather to feel bad about what we’ve done.

Guilt can be a tool for right alignment if we wield it properly. How else are we to move forward, to grow, to heal? We’ve got to start somewhere, and change must be involved.

Here there is difficulty for those who’ve been bludgeoned by religion. It can feel like either an insurmountable U-turn to come back from or else an undesirable destination.

Recovery makes bold suggestions and big promises, though. And it doesn’t get in the way of religion; it encourages our return as soon as we are able.

The whole program is propped up on the supposition that God is real, and is really capable and willing to solve our addiction problem. This is evidenced by the countless stories from our fellowship which share this common solution.

This “fear if the Lord” thing will trip up some people who want a God who just wants to hug them. But we find that we receive much more than consoling from our Creator.

As we get right-sized we begin to understand the fullness of God and the vastness of him. This leads us to a perspective shift which includes the fear of Him.

Not paralyzing fright, but awesome wonder. Not the petty fear we experience in everyday living, but the supernatural fear that actually helps us behold the truth in a new light.

It instructs our thinking and gives us new eyes. This is the sober posture that we can use to contribute to the precious life we are now living.

God, help me look deeply at what matters most.