Proverbs 9:10 NKJV

[10] “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

For the majority of my life, I believed that fearing God meant that I was supposed to be (literally) afraid of God. I related my relationship to Him as to my dad. Sure, I had a healthy respect for his authority, but I wasn't actually scared of my father. I knew my dad loved me. Why should I be afraid of him?

The best explanation I have ever heard regarding the fear of the Lord is simple. It is the fear of His absence. If being afraid of God's absence is the beginning of wisdom, that means we are fully aware of our dependence on Him. Knowing Jesus the way I do now, that makes way more sense.