The Starting Line

KEY VERSE:

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,
But fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

Proverbs 1:7

REFLECTION:

Everyone wants to be wise. But not everyone is willing to listen. And even fewer are willing to fear the Lord — the kind of deep reverence that says, “God, You’re right even when I don’t understand You.”

According to Proverbs 1:7, wisdom doesn’t begin with books, experience, or education. It starts with fear of the Lord — a humble, surrendered heart that says: You are God, and I am not.

We often spent years thinking we knew better. We rejected instruction. We ignored correction. We acted like fools. And where did it get us?

But now, we’ve come to the starting line — and the starting line is fear of the Lord. Not fear like running from a cruel master, but fear like standing in awe of a holy, loving Father. It’s this reverence that positions us to grow, change, and receive the wisdom that builds that new life Jesus has for you. It's the life that makes you His new creation.

You won’t make it in recovery—or in life—without wisdom. And you can’t get wisdom without humility. The wise admit they still need God, and His power, every day. The foolish think they’ve got it handled.

So which one will you be today?

SUPPORTING SCRIPTURES:

🔹 “Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and depart from evil.”
Proverbs 3:7

🔹 “The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, to turn one away from the snares of death.”
Proverbs 14:27

🔹 “He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed.”
Proverbs 13:20

1. What does it really mean for me to fear the Lord in this season of my life and where I am in my recovery?

2. In what areas have I still been “wise in my own eyes”?

3. Where is God asking me to humble myself?

4. How do I see myself as having been teachable, or in what ways have I been rejecting the very instruction that could set me free for life?

5. What voices do I need to stop listening to?

6. What daily habits can I start that will deepen my reverence for God and help me grow in His true wisdom?

CLOSING PRAYER:

Abba Father, I don’t want to be wise in my own eyes anymore. I want to fear You, honor You, and follow Your lead. Teach me to love instruction, to hunger for Your wisdom and understanding, and to walk in humility every day of my life. Let my reverence for You be the foundation of everything I build from here going forward. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

COACHING QUESTIONS FOR JOURNALING & REFLECTION: