It has been said that:
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.”
(Psalm 111:10)
And also that:
“Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: the woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.”
(Proverbs 31: 30)
As a result of this, we know that we must learn to have a proper fear and respect for God in order to be virtuous and save our souls.
Yet, how do we cultivate this fear of God in ourselves?
It is easier said than done, and this is shown by how few of us truly take these sayings to heart, and bring them to effect in our lives.
God is so often spoken of as a nonchalant topic, and most of us hardly give Him the reverence due to Him. In fact, many people in our day and age use His name and that of His saints irreverently in vain outbursts of disrespect, mockery, and hatred.
Let us consider that with one snap of His fingers all creation could become non-existent!
It is true that God is all-good and all-merciful, yet He is also all-just. He gives to all evil-doers the punishments which they deserve.
There are many stories, passed down through the centuries, of saints who appeared to those on earth, telling them of how they suffered terribly in purgatory to make atonement for the slightest imperfection, and yet how much further from being holy are we than they were!
In order to instill the fear of God in our hearts, minds, and souls; let us make the resolution to consider every day what God will do to us if we are unfaithful to His Commandments.
This will help us to keep in mind our final end, assist us in keeping a constant guard on our thoughts, words, and actions, and give us the ability do everything for the greater honor and glory of God.
And only then will we truly come to know what we need to do in order to grow in virtue, hold back the wrath of God, make us pleasing in His eyes, and in return gain the blessing of being forever happy in the world to come.
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