“One begins to get smart when he or she fears being crosswise of God.”

A thought by Dallas Willard (2014-02-01) from his book, Renovation of the Heart: PuttingOn the Character of Christ (p. 50). NavPress. Kindle Edition. (Click on the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)

I understand the importance of education. I really do and I understand that even as a 67 year old I need to constantly feed my mind and to keep stretching it. But it is so important to see the need to be in tune with what our Creator wants and requires from us and that it is not smart to minimize or disregard that importance.

As Dallas says, “Although not the end or outcome of wisdom, to be sure, it is the indispensable beginning, I believe, and the principle part. One begins to get smart when he or she fears being crosswise of God: fear of not doing what he wants and not being as he requires. Fear is the anticipation of harm. The intelligent person recognizes that his or her well-being lies in being in harmony with God and what God is doing in the ‘kingdom.’ God is not mean, but he is dangerous. It is the same with other great forces he has placed in reality. Electricity and nuclear power, for example, are not mean, but they are dangerous. One who does not, in a certain sense, ‘worry’ about God, simply isn’t smart.”

Of course when we live like we are our god that isn’t smart either. But we do that.

So how really smart are we?

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