The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding. ~ Proverbs 9:10

The fear of God can first be seen in children as a fear, or attitude of respect, toward their father. They don’t fear him every minute, like they would an evil ogre.  They do fear his disapproval and chastening when they do wrong. This kind of fear his healthy for our bodies.

Children of God feel the same way toward our Heavenly Father. We are ever aware of His watchful eye. This thought brings comfort when we are doing all we can to walk in the ways of the Lord. But when we are struggling with sinful thoughts, words or actions, we feel a trembling in our hearts at His presence. We know that He has seen our sin. The guilt can be overwhelming. But, this is a good thing! This fear and guilt draws our hearts toward repentance and right living. This kind of fear is healthy for our minds.

I vividly recall when, as a teenager, an opportunity to sin presented itself to me. No one was around; I thought I could get away with it. Then, the thought came to me that God would know. I knew the Lord would make sure that my parents would find out, too. (Num. 32:23) Imagining their disappointed faces kept me from doing wrong. I wish I could say this was the case every time I was tempted to sin, but I cannot. However, learning to fear God early in life did spare me some heartache. I am thankful for the proper fear of the Lord, which began with the proper fear of my dad and mom.