Perfect Love Gets Rid of Fear! In His Word 8-1-2022
We walk in a world full of things that scare us. We have a fear of failure, a fear of success, a fear of injuring ourselves, getting hurt and even a fear of being afraid!
Where can we go to find peace and know that we have no reason for fear?
Let’s look- In His Word!
The fear of the LORD adds length to life, but the
years of the wicked are cut short. Proverbs 10:27-32
Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that
overtakes the wicked, for the LORD will be your confidence and will keep your
foot from being snared. Proverbs 3:25-26
But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him
who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear
Him! "Are not five sparrows sold
for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God. But the very
hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear; therefore, you are of more
value than many sparrows. Luke 12:5-7
Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; 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
The
word fear here is referring to a reverence. Sometimes we have the other fear, the one that comes with trembling and anxiety, or worry.
I can remember as a child climbing up a hill of dirt
and roots with my brother and sister. My sister was younger, and she could only
climb so high before she would slide down and go to mommy for hugs. We would
usually climb halfway up the steep incline and then slide down on box pieces or
our britches. It was so much fun! You might liken it to sliding down a hill of
snow on a toboggan, you go until you stop.
One certain day my brother Bill and I decided we
wanted to climb higher. To be truthful, I was influenced by his exuberance to
go higher and slide even faster than we were going to begin with. It would be
exciting and adventurous, so it did not take much to get me to go along!
As we climbed higher and higher, seeing one more root
to grab hold of seemed to be continuous. Just a little higher, just a little
higher, we would say to one another as we climbed! Talking about how fun it was
going to be when we slid all the way down lost its flavor when we finally
stopped and turned around.
My brother took one look at the distance and realized
that if we were to slide we could get hurt at this point. So, we had to figure
out what to do.
This park was in the trees, but there was a road that
led to it, and he knew the way to the entrance to the park. He made the
decision for us, knowing that we would catch it for climbing so high in the
first place but deciding that if we did not walk around we might not make it to
the bottom again the other way. That gut feeling, we had when we looked back
will never leave my memory. We knew we had gone too far.
The fear I had of getting hurt was nothing to the fear I had for getting in trouble. I knew that my parents would be mad and worried about us, but we needed to be safe. I followed my big brother’s lead and decided the trouble we got into was nothing in comparison.
Now I did not start out that way, I wanted to get
down right away because I did not want to get into trouble! I wanted to do the
right thing all the time and always be good! I actually argued with my brother
first and cried a bit even! (I was after all only about 8 years old!) But then
I finally gave in to his wisdom and followed him knowing that things would not
be easy at the other end. Even when we made it back to the park, got in big
trouble from our parents for disappearing on them I still saw my brother as
wise from that point on. He knew that we would have been broken had we not
stayed focused and thought out our moves and took the punishment for making
those choices.
We
have a Big Brother, Jesus! He took chances and made choices for us that kept us
from harm! He still does today! If we keep reminding ourselves that He knows
better than we do! Well, the choices we make to follow Him will keep us from
harm.
My
brother was brave enough to stand against me yelling at him and encouraged me
to walk the right path to get to safety. I chose to follow that and even though
things were rough at the end I knew it was far better than what could have
happened.
Today
I am reminded of this because I realize that I still carry some fears with me
from time to time. It is not fear of getting punished, but it is a fear of failing,
of going too far, of not doing what I set out to do. So today the scriptures are telling me that I
do not need to fear these things.
His love took away my fear, because it shows me that
it does not matter if I fail if I keep doing what He tells me to do. It does
not matter if I trip, my God will still love me.
I also see in these scriptures that I do not need to
fear, because He will take care of me, no matter what!
When I asked Jesus to be Lord of my life and
confessed with my mouth that I believed in Him I made a lifelong commitment to
follow His steps. I decided to allow Him to take care of me and bandage my
skinned knees, instruct me in how to not trip up again and then walk the right
paths. I have no reason to fear, because God is with me in whatever I do… in whatever
I do!
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good
courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you
wherever you go."
So,
if God is with me when I climb a mountain, whether it is a mountain of success
in writing, or publishing a book or if it is success in home-instructing my
children… God is with me. I know that because God is with me, I have nothing to
fear, because His perfect love casts out all fear!
Hmm…. I see a circle here that keeps me hedged in and
fear on the outside! Be encouraged and
know that He is with you today in all that you do, not just in the things that
you ‘feel’ are God’s will, but also in the things that you probably should not
be doing… because He is with you always! Just something to think about there!
When
we fear the Lord, it is a Godly Reverence type of fear, and that is okay. The
fear of getting in trouble for doing the wrong thing often keeps a child in
line. We as God’s children are kept in line by the idea that we do not deserve
the love and forgiveness that He gives us, yet He still does. Because of this
fact, we fear doing what He does not want us to do, not because of the wrath of
God as much as not wanting His deeds to be for nothing.
I hope that made sense; I know what I want to say but
it is hard to get out the words we hear sometimes. I want you all to know today
that it is okay to want to please God, and to strive to do so just because you
love Him. I want you to know that it is okay to step out into new pastures to
climb new mountains and find the safest route is following after His
directions. Also, I want you to know that God is with you, and He will go before
you to make your path straight and smooth if you just put your trust totally in
Him!
There goes my favorite scripture again… Trust in the
Lord with all your heart and lean not into your own understanding in all your
ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path! Proverbs 3:5-6.
Dear heavenly Father, help me to overcome my fears
and to step out in faith trusting You to be with me in all that I do. Thank you
for Your love casting out my fears and keeping them away from my reach today
Lord. In Jesus name, amen.