Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may
have boldness in the day of judgement; because as He is, so are we in this
world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear
involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love
Him because He first loved us. – 1 John 4.17-19
Fear is a terrible thing. It is crippling. I have some
fears that make me physically ill. This verse says that fear involves torment.
I have a tormenting fear of heights. I can get sick even seeing photographs of
people at great heights. It is that gut wrenching feeling that comes when we
are afraid.
It is not just heights and a few other things like
that cause me this tormenting fear. Sometimes I can be tormented by a fear of the future. What
is going to happen? I am at an age now when most of my life has been lived.
Looking down the road ten or twenty years is scary.
I can fear for our ministry. Some days it looks like
everything we have done is for nothing. We see people come and go and
ministries see human success and seeming failure. The fear of what is going to
happen can be tormenting.
But God is not in that fear. Fear is not of God
because His perfect love casts out fear. If I really trust that God loves me I
realise that I need not be afraid. God loves me and that love is my protection for
all that I face. I may very well face hard times – in fact I certainly will –
but I have the love of God to carry me through those times.
I am sitting here as I type these words battling fear.
The bad thing is that it is a kind of unreasonable fear. It makes no sense. When I allow myself to get in situations like
this it is because I choose fear over love. It really is my choice.
Will I – will we – choose love or fear? May God five
each of this who battle this fear the wisdom and the strength and the ability
to choose His love over our fear. Love casts out fear. They are not compatible.
God had given us His love, why then do we let fear torment our souls?
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