The Fear of the Lord

Today I was the guest speaker at church. With Pastor Zac and George gone (at a wedding), last week Redemta asked if I would speak at church this Sunday. I immediately said "I can't, George won't be here to watch Eli." When she said, "don't worry, I or one of the kids will watch him" I no longer had a legit reason to say no. I always get nervous speaking in front of people. I feel much more comfortable in a small group or one on one. Teaching is not one of my gifts. George is the teacher in our family. I especially feel self concious speaking on Sunday morning. That's reserved for the pros! Throughout the week, I tried to think of ways to get out of it. Then I realized, I need to face my fears and do this. This is why I am here. To share the gospel with people. It can't always happen on my terms. So, I prepared and prayed... a lot!

I think it went ok. :) You'll have to ask the people of Yesu Anaweza for the official verdict. I spoke about fearing the Lord. What does it mean? Since it's the beginning of wisdom and a life giving fountain, we better figure it out! It's not a cowering in the corner type of fear. It's not fear of God's wrath. Rather, its true understanding of who He is. We looked at Isaiah's experience in God's presence. Imagaine seeing that! No wonder he thought he was a goner! Then we examined who God is by looking at the different names of God in the Old Testament (ex. Jehovah Jireh, Jehovah Shalom, Elohim, Yahweh, etc). Have you ever done that? It's so powerful. His different names reveal His character. Next we talked about what having a proper fear of the Lord looks like in our life. Basically, it's living a life that honors God. One that loves Him, His Word and His commandments. It's showing the fruits of the Spirit. Our awe and reverence of who God is motivates us to live a radically different life.

Lastly, I shared how recently I have dealt with anxiety and stress. One thing happens and I begin to worry about all the obstacles and problems we are facing. It is overwhelming and causes me to shut down and feel panicked. I know those thoughts are harmful. The Bible says not to worry! So in order to stop those thoughts, I lay down and say the name of Jesus over and over. By focusing on Him and who He is, things begin to get back to the right perspective. My problems are still there, but I remember God's strength and power in my life. Often I sing songs that talk about who God is to help calm my nerves. My favorite is "I Stand in Awe of You."

Talking about the fear of the Lord has helped me be more aware of my behavior and thoughts. We may not have had Isaish's experience, but we ARE in God's presence all the time. Hopefully those at church today felt as challenged as I did.