“This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.
God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because he first loved us.” (I John 4:13-19 NIV)
For nearly all of our world’s existence, people have lived in fear. They have feared each other, natural phenomenon, and the future. And they still do today. Fear runs deep among us, and it is on display daily. “Doomsday preppers” fear the future and so they hoard weapons, build fortresses, and amass stockpiles of food. Progressives fear conservatives and what they will do to the country. Conservatives fear progressives for the same reasons. In our individual lives, there are many fears we harbor—abuse from a loved one, what others think of us, whether we truly have value. And often where fear leads us is to anger and hate.
After 9/11, a lot of Americans became fearful of Muslims, including Christians. There were protests, vandalism at mosques, death threats, and even some Muslims were murdered. Fear drives away love, and anger and hate fill the void. Most wars start with fear. Even personal struggles such as with self-worth start with fear of what others think of us and then often lead to self-hatred expressing itself through eating disorders, cutting, and suicide.
There is a great scene in the movie, “Remember the Titans,” where Gerry Bertier, a white football player, confesses to his black teammate, Julius, that he was scared of him when the football team was integrated. But he concluded, “I was just hating my brother.” In that true story, fear was driven out by love.
John describes love and fear as opposites. There is no fear in love. Why? Because God is love, His Spirit resides in those who have surrendered their lives to Him, and He can be trusted. There is no person and no situation that we need to fear because we are loved and not facing them alone.
Today, recognize you have no reason to be fearful about people or situations. The perfect love of the Lord is enough for you to face anything fearlessly and with love.
© Jim Musser 2014
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