Are You Scared?
Having a reverent fear of God is the beginning of wisdom, but as Believers who have accepted the love of Christ and the sacrifice He paid for our sins, we no longer have to fear punishment. We know God is love, and if we have Jesus in our hearts, we will know His love and love others. A self-generated “love” based on mere human emotion will not endure difficult times. We must know the true, life-giving, life-changing, love of God. When we encounter His love and allow Him to change us, our lives are never the same. But, we are mortals, and fear is a reality. So, how do we address fear? We know it, along with worry, doubt, anxiety, and a myriad of negative emotions are present in many lives. But, does that mean, if we have fear, that we do not have perfect love?
Someone once said that fear is like our shadow; it’s always there, but it is powerless if we stay ahead of it. The perfect love of God means we are like Christ in love, that we reflect His presence in our lives. The word fear mentioned in Proverbs 9:10 is from the Hebrew word “yir·’at”, meaning, a fear, reverent, while the fear mentioned in 1 John 4:18 refers to a fear that causes “panic, flight, or terror.” You see, we aren’t to be fearful of God in the sense that we are terrorized by Him, as earthly threats desire us to do, but we are to show a reverent and holy fear of Him. No longer, as Believers, are we to fear His punishments for our sin if we are in perfect love of God, but we live reverently of Him. His love doesn’t demand our sacrifice, but it does demand our willing obedience. Anyone who demands fear from you is demanding you give your own good, your own life, and that has been paid for by Christ. Today, know the perfect love of God and be at peace with the realization that He alone gives perfect peace and comfort in a troubled world. Do our lives reflect a reverent, holy fear of God? Do we love others as He would have us love them?
Heavenly Father, Thank You for the perfect love You give, and thank You for peace in a world that demands fear. Help me to remember Your perfect love in the face of fear and to love others as You would have me do. -Amen
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.
1 John 4:18 NLT
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