The Wrong Kind of Fear

2 Kings 17:33-34 They feared the Lord, yet served their own gods—according to the rituals of the nations from among whom they were carried away. 34 To this day they continue practicing the former rituals; they do not fear the Lord, nor do they follow their statutes or their ordinances, or the law and commandment which the Lord had commanded the children of Jacob, whom He named Israel, 

"These two verses caught me. The people here are those brought in from Assyria after the captivity of Israel. The Lord sent lions among them and they feared The Lord because of it yet served their own gods. How foolish! They even sent a priest to teach the people how to serve The Lord and they still made their high places, carved images and their own way of worship. That is why they feared the Lord, being afraid of him sending lions, in verse 33 but did not fear the Lord in verse 34. How many are come into the church that want to dwell as a Christian in title and by proximity? When the devil, that roaring lion, comes seeking whom he may devour they fear the Lord, they listen to the teaching, and yet still serve their own gods, money, sex, self, and do not fear the Lord"

These thoughts speak of our present day condition don't they? I am reminded that in the New Testament it says that people have a form of godliness and yet deny it's power. We know who Jesus is and yet don't serve Him and operate in the power that we should. 

It comes down to having the right kind of fear. 

The wrong fear is being afraid without knowledge. It is a fear that will drive you away from God. Without knowing the loving and powerful nature of God you will see the pressures of life as cruelty and end up distanced from God. 

The right kind of fear is one that is based on the knowledge of who God is. When you know His power and love you will be in awe of Him to a place of respect. You still won't mess with God but you will not be driven from Him. Instead His power and love will draw you to Him. 

Spend time with God in prayer, worship and in His word. As you do you will get the knowledge and will fear no evil. It will produce in you the right kind of fear that is expressed in your service to Him. 

What are your thoughts? Feel free to leave some comments below. 

Day 101 - Leadership 101

"Today I had an unusual day in the sense that I had nothing on my calendar and yet worked late because of all the meetings I ended up having."

Leaders have to know themselves. They also have to get their finger on the pulse of what is going on under their care. In order to know both of these things there has to be communication with people. 

On the one hand to know yourself involves more than yourself. In your prayer time and study of God's Word you must listen to who God says you are. If you know who you are in Him then you will be more confident to lead. Also you must listen to what others say about you. I am not just talking about the nice stuff either. It is good to know when people recognize strengths in you and just as good to hear encouragement. We all need to be encouraged or we would give up! But we also need to hear constructive criticism from people we trust whose interest is in our growth. One of the meeting I had on this day last year was with my mentor. He spoke wisdom and encouragement and helped me in my decision making process. 

On the other hand you must know the pulse of what you are over. This takes gathering information, hearing people's hearts and looking ahead at what is coming. The Bible says we should know the state of our flock. We should see where we are strong and where we are weak. We should have a handle on numbers and the resources we are stewarding. It takes diligence but it also takes communication with people. When people know you care enough to listen to them and see you involved the morale rises. I don't just ask people about their jobs I also ask about their families. I want to make sure my employees aren't struggling or hurting at home. And not just so that they will be a better worker but also because I want them to be blessed and prosperous in life. 

If leaders will know themselves and the pulse it will allow for better decisions, better placement, better use of time and resources, and better productivity. 

How can we know ourselves better? What ways do you use to know the pulse of your organization?