1 John 4:18 -19 ~ Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. We love each other because he loved us first.
What are you fearful of? What’s holding you back? When we take the time to comprehend God’s perfect love for us, there is no room for fear, because His perfect love eliminates fear in our lives. When we recognize the power of God’s love for us, we can trust that through our relationship with Him, we have His love and power within us to overcome our fears. We can trust God’s heart and know that He promised all things work for the good of those who have been called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28). Even the things that cause us pain or fear.
I will be the first to admit that there have been times in my life in which things seemed so bleak and dark that it was hard to trust God’s love or presence. And the fear that this darkness brings can be very overwhelming. I now recognize that my fears were based on my feelings. However, feelings are deceptive and change. God is not longing for us to feel better, he is longing for us to trust His love and be freed from fear through that trust. When our feelings present a picture of darkness that seems to overshadow everything else in our life, our lives can become the breeding ground for fear. These fears are driven by our own insecurities, shortcomings and lack of trust in God. We begin to fear that things will never change or will never get better. That fear brings about our own self-punishment and torment. That fear keeps us from living and experiencing God’s best for our lives. Fear attacks our trust in God. That’s why we must rely on our faith, and go beyond our feelings. When we look to God and stand in faith, understanding that God did not give us a spirit of fear, we can then be assured that God’s love for us is greater than anything we could fear. When we are confident of God’s love for us, we are then better equipped to love one another. Understanding God’s love for us helps us to love others even when they don’t love us in return. Accepting God’s perfect love helps us to not be fearful of loving someone because we are afraid we may get hurt. When we accept God’s perfect love, which is unconditional, He begins to perfect love within us, helping us to love one another unconditionally. We know that experiencing a perfect love between two humans will not happen here on earth, but when we surrender to the process of allowing God to perfect love within us, it does make for a more joyful and loving experience here on earth.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for Your perfect love that leaves no room for fear. We surrender our direction, thoughts, ideas, and actions; and pray that you continue to mold our hearts and minds to trust and depend on You so that we will not live in fear. Help us to accept Your perfect love, and to be able to then share our love with others, that will continuously be perfected until we are called to eternity, where we all will experience perfect love for one another. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Purpose in Action:
Is there anything that you are fearful of right now? How does reflecting on God’s love for you make you feel about those things that you are fearing? On a scale of 1-10 how are you trusting God’s plan for your life? How has God shown you that He loves you? List out those “glory” moments in which you know that God was making His presence known to you.
For His Purpose,
LiKeisha Mills
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