What Are You Afraid of?
The future? Death? Losing your job? Losing your home?
I’ll never forget the year when I sensed God had pulled the rug right out from under my feet. In a span of only 30 days, I lost a job I loved, had to sell my home, the sweet little dog that had been in my home since he was a puppy went to live with my dearest friends who in turn, were moving 2,000 miles away… Oh, and did I mention that it was Christmas? One morning as I was trying to make sense of it all, my daily Bible reading fell upon 1 John 4:18Â which reads,
“…perfect love casts out fear.”
Why was I still afraid?
If perfect love casts out fear, why was I still afraid? The answer, I discovered, is rather simple, but disturbing. I must not be experiencing the complete, perfect love of God. Almost immediately, I tried to defend myself. That’s not true! I love God, go to church, tithe, pray, lead a Bible class …
But wait a minute… Did I read the verse correctly? Whose love is the Scripture referring to? Mine or God’s? I read the verse again. “…perfect love casts out fear.” Perfect Love. Only God is perfect. Clearly, the verse is referring to God’s love. And where does the Bible say that God’s love is dependent on us, or our thoughts, or actions? Nowhere.
As a matter of fact, Scripture paints a beautiful picture of this truth in the events surrounding Jesus’s baptism. Before Jesus performed any miracles, before He healed anyone or delivered any memorable public speeches, God the Father publicly declared His love for His Son. Before Jesus began His public ministry, the Father’s Voice tore through the clouds of Heaven,
“This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.” (Matthew 3:17 NASB)
We Are God’s Beloved Children
God offers the same love to you and me. No more; no less. And just as Jesus had not yet done anything to earn His Father’s love, so it is with each of us. God’s love for us is not dependent upon what we do or don’t do. It is based entirely on Who He is. (Romans 8:28)
And yet, why was I still afraid? That’s when I read the second half of the verse, “If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced His perfect love.” (1 John 4:18 NASB)
Once again, I started to debate in my mind: I’m not afraid of punishment, I’m just afraid I won’t find a job … or a place to live … or … But then I realized something – something that is true for all who call God our Father – if we do not believe God will take care of our basic needs when we know He has the power to do so, we must not be convinced of His perfect love for us. And if He doesn’t love us, we must have done something wrong to cause Him to withhold His blessing.
In other words, we think we are being punished. Oh, how the enemy delights when we fall into the trap of self-condemnation! But praise Jesus, the enemy does not get the last word!
Father, when we face various trials, give us the courage to bring them before Your Throne of Grace. Bring to our minds anything we need to confess that may be hindering us from experiencing the peace of Your Love and Presence. Draw us near and teach us how to trust in Your perfect love – for Your perfect love casts out all fear. Amen.
Looking for a Bible study that will challenge your views of the enemy and explode your view of God? Check out LEGION: Rediscovering the God Who Rescues Me. or one of my other Bible studies.
Shadia is a passionate Bible teacher, award-winning author and speaker who has a heart for seeing lives transformed by the power of God’s Word. She holds a master’s in biblical and theological studies from Western Seminary and is author of several books and Bible studies.
Shadia- you say it so simply yet so beautifully! I enjoy your post. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you, Ann! 🙂
This article truly spoke to me – as so often they do! I pray that God will help me remember when I’m afraid of or worried about anything, that I will simply trust and rely on Him and His love for me instead of my fears.
Bless you, Donna! I am so delighted you enjoyed the article; I also am continually learning to trust and rely on Him in the midst of fears and uncertainties. Praise the Lord for His faithfulness!
Today was one of the worst days in a few years, but for Gods perfect love it turned out a blessed day, only because of his Perfect Love.
This was truly a msg from God, Thank you Shadia, for being the messenger!
Hi Ed, I’m so sorry to hear you had such a difficult day yesterday, but rejoice with you that God turned it around to be a blessing – as only He can do! I’m honored this article ministered to you. May the Lord keep you in perfect peace (Isaiah 26:3)
One thing that I have been struggling with is submission to my husband and what God wants me to do in our decisionmaking. This is on time as it is the Coronavirus and the jobless and school closings it has caused. There are so many things he and I have to make decisions about and I want to be confident in my decisions and not feel pressured to take them back. In Jesus name I pray amen!!!
Hi Hadassah. Thank you for sharing your heart. I agree that we are living in strange times and confronted with challenges many of us have never faced before. Making decisions is difficult under normal conditions, so you are not alone. As you and your husband seek God’s direction, you can trust that God is faithful to guide your decisions as you humbly seek His will. Even if you and your husband disagree on something, you can rest in knowing that you earnestly sought the Lord and also respected your husband. God will honor your heart. If a decision doesn’t go as you had hoped, remember that these things are temporary and our ultimate hope is in Christ and the glorious new life that awaits us. Seek the Lord; Respect your husband; Keep your heart centered on eternity – and may God bless you ❤️ “Seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness and all these other things will be added unto you.” Matthew 6:33.