reverence: the act of not running in the sanctuary

"She is clothed with strength and dignity; 

she laughs at the days to come."

Proverbs 31:25

(I encourage you to reach the entirety of the description of a woman who fears the Lord in Proverbs 31:10-31.)


Her strength and dignity do not come form her amazing achievements.
They are a result of her reverence for God.

reverence: to adore, highly respect; to worship

Whenever I hear the word reverence I remember my dad example to me and my friends what it was after church one Sunday. I think I was like 5th grade and I was at acolyte training. 

My friends and I were running around the church playing tag and being really loud. My dad came in to start the training and sat us all down at the back of the church and told us that we needed to be reverent of God when we were in the sanctuary. 


I raised my hand and was like, "Dad, whats rev-er-ance?"


In my memory he smiled and explained that we shouldn't run or yell in the sanctuary. It is a holy place.  We should respect God.


(I imagine he was referring to Leviticus 19:30 that reads, "Observe my Sabbaths and have reverence for my sanctuary. I am the Lord.")


Years later I still connect the meaning of the word reverence to not running in the sanctuary.


The question on my heart is well, what is the big kid meaning of reverence?

"Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God."

Titus 2:3-5

Reverence is honoring God. 

Worshiping Him.

Reverence is respectful, submissive attitude of mind resulting in affection and esteem for the person to which it is directed.

This means that reverence is directly tied to love. When I was a child I loved God, so I didn't run in the sanctuary. As a woman my reverence comes from my deep love for a holy God. From worshiping a God that I stand in awe of and fear.

I know it has been said a billion times before, but it is true. When my eyes are fixed on God, I will not worry about the future. I will laugh at it. 

So my strength and dignity does not need to come from others seeing my accomplishments. It comes from them seeing my deep love and fear for the Lord. 

There is no stronger woman than one who knows how to fear the Lord. 

Resource: http://preachersfiles.com/reverence-meaning/