“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding” (Proverbs 9:10, NKJV). Beginning is the key word. Not one ingredient among many, but the actual starting point everything else builds on.
Fear of the LORD here isn’t about being afraid of God in the way we’d fear something dangerous and unpredictable. It’s a reverent awe that puts Him rightly at the center.
Without that starting point, knowledge can still accumulate, but wisdom, the ability to rightly apply what’s known, tends to stay out of reach.
What would change in how you’re approaching a current decision if reverence for God, rather than your own expertise, were genuinely the starting point?