I suppose I started by going for a walk
Now walking is NOT something I find easy
Not because I am lazy (which I am not)
Nor because I don’t like exercise
But, perhaps because of something that could be likened to a “fear of man”
In a biblical sense, “the fear of man” is contrasted with “the fear of the Lord”
In this sense neither man nor the Lord is someone to be AFRAID of
The FEAR rather refers to a sense of “reverence and awe”
So the one who is FEARED
Is worshipped, considered Lord
Obeyed and submitted to, followed and LOVED
Proverbs 9:10 says
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”
How does this then cause me a problem with walking?
Simply put – finding somewhere to walk
Alone and undisturbed
Being a clergyman and working in the public eye
Causes “some” people to comment or remark
On everything that you do
This “intrusion” caused me some little concern
The result:
I went for a walk at 6:00am
Sometimes even 5:00am
“Alone and undisturbed”
Because of a “fear of man”
I WAS being obedient to the Lord
Since I fear Him
And over the year
He has dealt with the “fear of man” in me
In more ways than simply “going for a walk”…